Antilogy of the Crupuscule
by Sargent Snarky
Summary: Doom rises in a great wave, threatening to drown all the world in its murky depths. One queen plots total domination. All she needs to succeed is the princess of the Twilight. All that stands in her way are a young warrior and a young wavemaster.[AU]
1. Prologue: In Medias Res

** Antilogy of the Crepuscule**

By Sargent Snarky

_A random idea I had… AU using the characters from .hack and some of the plot ideas, settings, spells, monsters, items and mythology sort of stuff (The Gott Statues, magic portals, chaos gates, Epitaph of Twilight, among other things) in a more 'realistic' setting. As in, a medieval fantasy sort of world… Please note, I will try to stick to character personalities, but – as some of you may have seen in my other fanfics – I don't always keep to character. Heh. S'a lot harder than you'd think to keep to a preset guideline for how a character acts because you kind of have your own version of the character in mind that is similar to, but not exactly like the actual character. Err… I'm not sure if you understand that. I don't. But oh well. In case I've completely eradicated any meaning this paragraph had, I'll reiterate: This is a complete AU in which 'The World' is umm… 'Real,' albeit in a medieval fantasy setting. Oh, and I screw around with the characters and whatnot. You'll see what I mean…_

_Oh, and I kind of start in the beginning of the middle, as it were, and there'll be a couple flashbacks. Not many, but there'll be a few. And there'll be plenty of references to things going on before I begin this story. But don't let the confusion bother you! Most of it will be explained, and the rest probably isn't hard to figure out._

_Do you seriously think I own the .hack conglomeration? If so, you are an idiot. If I owned the .hack franchise, I would be working on G.U. rather than writing fanfiction and drooling over the trailer, praying that Bandai actually releases it in America this year, like they say they will… Oh, and I wouldn't be panicking about final exams (for the year)… You see, I'd be Japanese, and I'd be much older than I am now. (fifteen) Common sense people.._

_Along similar lines, -drools over the trailer for G.U.- Evil Kite… -does happy dance- Yay! Someone besides me had the idea of a possessed freaky Kite!_

_Along the same line (again) –drools over the trailer and screen shots for Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess- Man, I wish I had a Game Cube…-sigh-_

_To go off on a tangent, most of the girls I have met do not play video games. OK, so maybe they've played them, but they aren't fanatics like myself, and one of my best friends. However, most of the major .hack fans I've found have been female. O.o How weird is that. I mean, it's not even the sort of game you'd think girls would like. I love it, but I love fantasy sort of RPGs… I am awful at first person shooters, but the fact that I don't own any impedes any progress I could otherwise make in my accuracy. Well, I have a copy of Quake I, II, and III, but… um… When the old computer died, I lost my save files for them. And, well, I have yet to install them on the newer computer. Anyway, the same thing goes for DDR. I've met more guys who play DDR with any skill than girls. Weird. Because DDR is game you'd think girls would like more. However, the best people I've met who play DDR are Asian. It's kind of freaky the way Asians kick butt at DDR. O.o_

_Woooow. I really got off on a tangent there. Sorry.._

_One thing I really do need to mention: I'm going to try a different way of writing this story… The prologue and occasional interludes will be in 3rd person, but I'm going to try and tell the majority of the story from 1st person, albeit from varying points of view. For example, the prologue thing is in 3rd person, but the first chapter starts out with Tsukasa's POV. Later, it switches to Kite's POV. Aura's POV will be in there on occasion… and possibly others… Probably not, but I know for a fact that the main storyline will progress under Kite's, Tsukasa's and Aura's POVs._

_Oh yeah. That reminds me. This fic for sure has a Kite&Tsukasa pairing. After writing Fragments of a Shattered Mirror, I decided that I liked that pairing. O.o Go figure. It's not that I have anything against Kite&Blackrose… I happen to like that pairing, too… But… -grins- This is an unusual pairing, and I happen to like it a lot._

_Oh. And for those of you who've read Fragments, I am pretty sure that this will be longer. In fact, I plan to have it be much longer than Fragments. Also, this story will not be as, em, dark. It won't be a torture fic. Ehehe… Kite would kill me if I messed with him much more… As it is, Tsukasa jabs me in the ribs with her staff every time I so much as think about giving them too much hell in this story. However, that doesn't mean they get off easy… Ow! Stop it! -deathglare at Tsu- Don't make me take your teddy bear.. Tsukasa: O.O! Not my teddy! Noooo! –glomps teddy and stares at me with wide, accusing eyes-_

_(Um… watch .hack/GIFT to see Tsukasa's teddy bear… )_

_Summary: Doom is coming. It rises in a great wave, threatening to drown all the world in its murky depths. One queen plots total domination. All she needs to succeed is the princess of the Twilight. All that stands in her way are a young warrior and a young wavemaster._

_Before they have any hope of stopping the Queen Morganna from succeeding in her diabolical (hehe! That's a fun word) plans, however, the warrior must gain and master the very power Morganna bequeathed to her eight minions and the wavemaster must gain the trust of and control over the six elemental guardians._

_Anyway.. here's the story:_

_**Prologue**_

**In Medias Res…**

A man and a woman sat at a small round table in the main room of a small house. The house was comprised of four rooms: two bedrooms, a kitchen and the main room, which served as a gathering space, eating area, and any other of a number of purposes. The woman was short and curvy, and had long red hair and a kindly expression. The man was tall and thin, but with broad shoulders and dark bluish hair. (Yes. Weird hair colors were not uncommon in certain areas of this world.)

"The small one hasn't woken up yet?" asked the man.

"No. The child is still asleep," replied the woman with a sigh

"And the other girl?"

"She woke up a while ago, but she's sleeping again now."

"Yeah. Are they sisters, do you think, and the boy is their brother?"

"No. They aren't siblings. At least I don't think they are…"

"You sure?"

"Well, no… But they don't look like each other at all."

"Why else would they be traveling together?"

"Don't know. But that boy… How is he doing? He's in your care, right?"

"Yes. He's stirred once or twice. Mumbled in his sleep, and shouted something about 'twilight' and a monster that steals souls."

"Huh? A monster that steals souls…"

"You've heard of it?"

"Mm… Once or twice… Hey! Maybe these three are…"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Wait a minute. These three… you don't think they are the ones she's looking for?"

"That's what I was thinking."

"What should we do?"

"They're just kids… We can't let _her_ get them."

"But the law… and the bounty. Besides, if we're caught harboring them…"

"It'll be our heads, not to mention theirs. I know. But… they're just kids…"

"But… It won't just be our heads. It'll be the heads of everyone in the village!"

"Can you really condemn those kids? Especially now, when they're so vulnerable."

"I know… I know… Believe me, I know! I have a daughter of my own, but…"

"But you don't want to see her die," spoke a third voice, quite startling the two adults.

The two quickly turned to the older girl, fully awake and watching them with sad lavender eyes from the doorway to one of the two bedrooms. The eyes, unlike the eyes of a normal child, held wells of sorrow, suffering, and a maturity unnatural in one aged fourteen years. The girl's silver hair, which was obviously not caused by age – a peculiarity only found only in the Avaria or the Lunaria – hung in uneven tendrils about her small-boned face as she looked at them. Her under tunic – a simple tan garment with long sleeves and a skirt reaching a bit past her knees – hung slightly lop-sided and quite loose upon her thin bony frame. No other clothing did she wear at this time, though it was all in a neat pile next to her pallet.

"Uh. Oh. You're awake," stammered the woman. "Are you feeling all right?"

The girl tilted her head to the side, as if considering how to respond. She sighed, and answered, "I'm fine. But you aren't. We thank you for your hospitality and care, but…"

The girl bit her lip, looking over her shoulder at the other child, a few years younger, who still slept. The younger one had small features, even more fine-boned than the other, and skin pale as the moon. Her hair, too, was white – or at least it had been; it hung in dusty, matted strands now. Sleeping, she seemed so innocent, so peaceful.

Concern and pleading filled the older child's eyes when she looked back at the two adults. "Please. Can you keep her safe? She won't mind cutting her hair or disguising herself. She might even enjoy it." A smile touched her lips, but only for an instant. "I… I know that you don't want trouble, but please! Kite and I… we can't keep Aura safe, and we promised we wouldn't leave her alone. But if she's with you, she won't be alone… and she'll understand in time. Please!"

The man and the woman were taken aback by this request. They looked at each other, then back at the young one before them. For a long moment there was silence. The adolescent took it as a negative and sighed, eyes dropping to the floor.

"I'm sorry. I... shouldn't have asked you to… to take on another burden. If you could let us stay until Aura's rested… That's enough."

The man shifted and the woman flushed, guilt flickering in her expression. "Child," she said, rising and reaching out to rest her hands on the adolescent's shoulders. The girl flinched, taking a slight step backwards, though she lifted her eyes to look into the woman's.

"I… I'm sorry," the woman said. "Really, it would be selfish of me, of us to just turn you kids out. Stay as long as you like… and if you must leave, I'll be more than happy to care for… for Aura. And keep her safe."

Shock passed quickly into gratitude and a small measure of happiness within the girl's eyes. She smiled, albeit a small smile, and bowed. "I cannot thank you as I should, and I have no way to repay you-"

"Psh. That's all right, dear," said the woman. "It'll be enough to know that I've helped you kids out. Before we do anything else, though, we really ought to have a proper introduction."

"You do that, Faille," interjected the man, standing up and moving to the door. "I'm going to check on the boy."

"Kite's all right?" queried the girl.

The man nodded. "Mostly. He had a nasty gash across his ribs, but whoever tended it did a superb job, and I doubt it'll leave a scar. Last I checked, he was just sleeping."

"Good. Thank you, sir," said the girl, bowing to him.

He waved and said, "Just call me Paeto."

"Thank you, Paeto."

"Now then," said the woman. "I'm Faille. And you?"

"My name is Tsukasa. The little girl is Aura, and the boy is Kite."

"I see. Hmm.. Am I correct in guessing Aura is the kidnapped princess?"

Tsukasa sighed, gazing at the floor as she nodded unhappily.

"And you two are the wicked murderers of Lord Orca, and several guards, as well as the attackers of Sir Ginkan the Silver Knight, the kidnappers of Morganna's daughter, and the thieves of some ancient relic thing?"

Tsukasa winced, refusing to look Faille in the eyes, and nodded.

"And am I still correct in guessing that much of that is not true? Or at least not true in the way it's presented?"

Tsukasa nodded again, and murmured, "We weren't the ones who stole Lord Orca's soul. Why would Kite do that to him? Lord Orca was like his father… But we saw when his soul was stolen. …And the guards. We only knocked them out. We didn't kill them. Mo – Morganna's changed a lot since… since… but we took Aura away to keep her safe from her mother. Aura isn't really her daughter, by blood anyway. (a slight bitter note crept into Tsukasa's voice, making Faille wonder…) I mean, Morganna has a blood daughter, but an illegitimate one… and no one knows about her… And the book was Lord Orca's. Or at least it was under his care. And he gave it to Kite before… But we don't have it anymore, or at least we don't have the original book anymore."

"What about Sir Ginkan?"

"… He…" Tsukasa looked up into Faille's eyes with a desperate sort of pleading. "I didn't mean to hurt him! I… just summoned one of the Guardians because he wouldn't let us leave. He didn't know what was going on! He didn't know how vital it was that we got Aura out of there! He was just doing his duty… And I tried to reason with him! I tried to explain! Aura even tried to tell him, but… He drew his sword, and attacked me, calling me traitor. Kite was with Lord Orca and Aura was with me, and I wield wave energy, not a sword… And… I couldn't think of anything else… And I made sure the Guardian just knocked him out, and didn't do any permanent damage."

"Hush, dear. It's all right. I understand… But, only those of the Royal line can summon, much less control a Guardian."

Tsukasa froze, then nodded, slowly. "Y-yeah…"

"I see," said Faille, a smile curving her lips. "Well, I've never had royal company before."

"Uhn…"

"It's all right, dear. I wonder then, who was your father?"

Tsukasa blushed. "Mother told me… But she made me promise never to tell."

"It's all right. I won't tell anyone."

"Lord Balmung, of the Avaria."

Faille let out a low whistle. "Quite a pedigree you have, child."

The girl unconsciously reached back, scratching between her shoulder blades. Recently, it had begun to itch a lot, plus there was a strange ache there some mornings. However, she wasn't think of that now, just absentmindedly scratching. She sighed. "You won't tell anyone at all, right? I mean.. I really shouldn't have told you, but… Well, something about you is just… trustworthy… and I guess I just needed to tell someone."

Faille laughed softly. "It's all right Tsukasa. Now, are you hungry? If not, you can go back to sleep. It's late evening now, as it is, and I think I shall be retiring soon myself."

Tsukasa was about to politely decline food when her stomach rumbled, almost as though it had its own ears. She blushed, and Faille chuckled again.

"Well, I've some bread and cheese, as well as some piney apples and mushrooms. We've a lot of those around here. Oh, and a few bearcat eggs, but we can have those for breakfast."

* * *

A green haired youth, who lurked in the shadows beneath the small window of the cottage, grinned to himself, crimson eyes glittering faintly. A long thin scar was the only thing marring his otherwise smooth pale complexion. Dressed in dark clothing as he was, the boy would have been quite difficult to distinguish from the night, even his dark green hair and purple scarf, save for the pale skin of his face – the only part of him left unshrouded with black or brown cloth.

"How interesting," he murmured to himself with a silent giggle before slinking swiftly away.

Once at a sufficient distance to avoid being seen by those he had just been spying upon, the boy stood up and stretched. Trees dotted the land, and he happened to be standing beneath one,

Therefore, with a cry of "Boing!" he leapt up, climbing swiftly.

Nothing like a good broad tree branch for a short nap!

* * *

In a neighboring cottage, a short, thin youth with a mop of teal hair atop his head woke with a start, and a soft cry of, "No... Orca!"

Breath coming in short gasps, the boy stared unseeing with wide cerulean eyes for several moments before he blinked and seemed to come back to himself. The first thing he realized, other than this was not where he'd gone unconscious, was that someone had removed his shirt, vest, hat, gloves, shoes, socks, belt and sheaths containing his twin blades, and had set them all in a neat, folded pile at the foot of the pallet upon which he lay. The second thing he noticed was that the bandage around his ribs had been replaced, but the new one was soaked with cold sweat. Looking down at himself, and running a hand through his hair, the boy realized he was still covered in the chill perspiration. His hair was damp with it.

He grimaced, but turned his attention to where he was. It was a small room, cluttered with assorted jars, crates, bags and loose miscellany. The faint smell of onions drifted from one of the bags, the odor of mushrooms from another, and the distinctive fragrance of piney apples from yet another. So he'd been put in the larder. At least the door was only a blanket hung on a door frame. He wasn't trapped here. They hadn't caught him, and hopefully they hadn't caught Tsukasa or Aura while he'd been out of it.

After drying himself off somewhat with the blanket he'd been sleeping under, the boy folded it and set it upon his small pillow. Then, he began to get dressed. He was just buckling his belt when the door of the cottage creaked open. The boy froze, eyes trained upon the blanket-covered doorway. He remained tense as the curtain was pulled aside, and a tall man with dark blue hair poked his head in. The man smiled and seemed relieved.

"Excellent," he said. "You're awake. Perfect timing, too. One of the girls who was with you just woke up, too. You're Kite, aren't you?"

The boy nodded slowly and finished fastening his belt.

"I'm Paeto," said the man, extending a large hand that rather dwarfed Kite's slender, long-fingered one. "Why don't you come out into the main room? I've food if you're hungry; I'm sure you can smell it, since this is my larder. I only have three rooms, I'm afraid, and I didn't know how long you'd be out of it, so I put you in here where you wouldn't be too obvious or in the way. "

"Thank you, sir," said the boy, bowing slightly.

"Just call me Paeto."

"Um.. Thank you Paeto," said Kite. "Could you tell me how Tsukasa and Aura are doing?"

"Well, the older one's awake and doing all right, and the younger one's still asleep."

Kite nodded, picking up his gloves, socks and boots before following Paeto into the main room. Paeto told him to just set the shoes by the door and take a seat. Kite did as much, sitting cross-legged on one of the small mats next to the low table. His cerulean eyes followed Paeto as the tall man moved about the room, collecting a few things. The boy turned to look behind himself upon hearing a soft sound, but winced, hissing through his teeth as a sharp fiery pain laced his side.

Hearing the soft hiss, Paeto turned and smiled wanly. "Be careful. Your wound is still healing, although I must say whoever originally tended it did a remarkable job. Almost magic the way it healed so cleanly."

Kite almost laughed at the irony of that statement. It had indeed been a simple healing spell cast by Tsukasa that tended the wound. She would have cast a more powerful healing spell, but they were all exhausted, and they didn't know if they were out of danger yet. Therefore, an elementary spell had to do, and it had done pretty well, closing the wound and knitting some of the flesh together.

A moment later, a small gremlin, the source of the noise Kite had heard, darted out from behind a box, chittering to itself. In it's purple claws it clutched a glittering silver coin. It paused midway across the floor, yellow cat eyes staring up into Kite's. It's long rabbit-like ears perked up, then flattened as Paeto turned and espied it as well.

"Damn varmint," he snarled, leaping forward and snatching the coin from the creature's grasp.

It cowered away in fear, trembling. Paeto's anger melted away a little as the creature directed its best pleading I-am-really-cute-and-you-know-you'd-never-hurt-me gaze at him. Sighing and rolling his eyes, Paeto pocketed the coin.

"I just don't know why Natsume likes you so much, little freak. You're always getting into stuff, especially shiny things. Gah," hissed Paeto with partially forced annoyance. "One of these days…"

Kite chuckled softly to himself, and the gremlin pattered over to him, sniffing the boy curiously. Suddenly, it jumped onto his lap, and snuggled closely against the dark green pants. Kite laughed again and scratched the creature behind the ears, to which it began to purr contentedly.

Paeto smiled warmly as he set a plate before Kite on the table. "It likes you. Natsume – my daughter – named it Shmark."

As if on cue, the gremlin lifted its snout into the air and let out a 'shmark' to prove its name. Kite smiled and turned his attention to the plate. On it were a sliced piney apple, some bread, some cheese, and one dried white cherry – a real delicacy found only in the winter.

"Thank you very much, sir, uh, Paeto," said Kite, bowing as best he could seated with a gremlin in his lap. "Um… You said Tsukasa's awake, right?"

"Yes."

"Would you mind if I went and talked with her for a bit? We, uh, need to sort a few things out."

Paeto nodded slowly. "Eat your meal, first."

"Thank you."

Kite made a sandwich out of the bread and cheese and munched on it.

After he'd had a few bites, Paeto – who'd been studying the boy closely – asked, "You three are the ones who are wanted, right?"

Kite froze, swallowing his mouthful and looking at Paeto. "…Why?"

"It's nice to know when one is extending his hospitality to a criminal."

Kite flushed somewhat. "We aren't what they say we are, sir," he said, voice edgy.

"I never said you were. But you did break the law, I think."

"Sort of," said the boy, hesitantly. "But… Tsukasa, Aura, and I didn't kill anyone, or steal anything. What they say we stole… Lord Orca gave it to us before… before…"

His eyes dropped to the table, a sadness filling them.

"Before…?" prompted Paeto.

"His soul was stolen."

Paeto looked rather incredulous. "Soul was stolen?"

"Yeah. This weird creature came after us, and Lord Orca told us to run. He said he'd hold it back. We didn't want to leave him, so we stayed there, but the creature… was more powerful than anything I've ever seen. It blocked or dodged everything Lord Orca sent its way. Then, it sent him flying with one blow… and then it… it…" Kite broke off with a shudder before adding, in a frightened whisper, "Never… I never want… to see that again."

Paeto nodded sympathetically. After a few minutes, Kite finished his sandwich in silence. Then, lifting the gremlin off of his lap, he stood up and bowed to Paeto.

Putting on his gloves, socks and shoes, Kite looked into Paeto's eyes and said, "I know that it is a dangerous burden, but please let us stay here for a little while. Just until all three of us are recovered. We have no way to repay you, but…"

Paeto sighed. "That's a lot like what Tsukasa asked us… And I suppose I'll have to answer the same way Faille answered: Yes. We'll give you shelter for a little while. Here, I'll take you to Faille's house. It's just across the way, but it's dark out…"

* * *

Tsukasa was just pulling on her gloves when a soft knock sounded at the door to Faille's cottage. Faille herself had just been getting ready for bed. She sighed, gestured for Tsukasa to go back into the other room, and moved to the door. Peeking through a small spy hole, the woman relaxed when she saw it was Paeto and the boy. She quickly let them in, but only the boy entered. Paeto stayed outside. He looked rather jumpier than he had before, and was that a twinge of guilt Faille saw in his eyes? She passed it off as sheer worry.

"Aren't you coming in Paeto?"

"No, Faille," he replied, running a hand through his dark hair. "The boy now knows his way back to my house. He'll be fine."

"What's the matter, Paeto?"

"N-nothing"

"Paeto?"

"Well, it's this whole business of those three kids. It's not that I want to be heartless or anything, but…"

"We understand," said Tsukasa, and Paeto jumped; he hadn't realized she and Kite were listening. "We won't stay long… We'd leave now, even, if it weren't for Aura."

Kite nodded his agreement. "Please. There is more at stake than just us… We… can't explain it, but…"

Faille nodded. "You two kids just go on into the room where Aura is. We won't turn you in."

She shot a glare at Paeto for even thinking of doing that. The boy and girl nodded, then disappeared farther into the house. Faille and Paeto remained in the doorway.

"Faille," said Paeto after he was sure they were gone.

"Shut up."

Paeto was taken aback.

"Look, Paeto," said Faille, gentler this time. "They're just kids. Did you talk to the boy? Did you ask him what happened? When I talked with Tsukasa, and she told me what happened, there was no lie in her voice, or her eyes. They are not criminals so much as they are acting as they see right. Whether it is right, I don't know. Tsukasa would not tell me more than that the Queen Morganna has changed somehow and that she is planning something awful. Apparently the three children are trying to stop whatever that awful thing is."

"But…"

"Paeto, they'll just be here another day or two. They're sensible, so obviously they won't do anything to attract undue attention."

"…"

Faille sighed. "If it makes you feel that uncomfortable, the boy can stay with me, too. Good night."

She shut the door and latched it.

* * *

A/N 

As I said before, I'm trying a new way of writing this.. and the only real reason I didn't write this part in first person and as Chapter 1 is that I didn't decide to actually try writing first person until after I'd finished this much.. Ergo, I just make this the prologue, even though it isn't. It's the actual beginning of the story. Sorry again for the really long notes at teh beginning... I started writing this at like 11 pm one night.

Sargent Snarky (Who has email again! And a new email address... )


	2. Chapter I : What to do?

Antilogy of the Crepuscule _By Sargent Snarky_  
Chapter I 

**What to do..?**

Tsukasa P.O.V.

Kite still looks tired, despite sleeping for about two days. Well, Faille said we've been asleep two days, and I believe her. Sleeping that long is not surprising, given that we'd been fleeing for two and a half days with little rest, and the teleportation spell drained what little energy we had left. I glance at Aura before taking a seat across from Kite in the small room. Seeing how peacefully the child sleeps, I'm jealous; Aura doesn't have the dreams. Oh well… I suppose I shouldn't envy her. I should be happy for her, but… the dreams… Oh god, the dreams!

"Tsukasa." Kite's voice breaks me from my reverie, and I look back at him.

"We've got to leave her with Faille," I say, softly, sadly.

Well, that clearly wasn't what he expected me to say. His cerulean eyes widen, and he raises one eyebrow, giving me his 'what-the-heck-are-you-talking-about' look, and vocalizes it: "What? Why?"

I turn my eyes back to the child's sleeping form. Gently, I brush a lock of silvery white hair out of her pale face. Still gazing at her, I reply, "You know we can't keep her safe… And Faille can be trusted. Her two daughters were recently killed by roving fiends… She'll take care of Aura better than we ever could."

Kite just looked at me for a moment, incredulous. Then his eyes fell upon Aura, and he sighed. "Hmm… Maybe you're right. But it isn't Faille I'd worry about."

"Paeto?"

"Mm…"

I frown. "I don't know what to make of him, myself. I think we can trust him not to turn us in on his own, but, if someone were to pressure him, he'd give all the information he could about us and our whereabouts."

Kite nods slowly. "Yeah… All the same, if he knows about Aura, is it really safe to leave her here?"

I shrug. "I… honestly don't know. But, it's probably safer than taking her with us."

"True," Kite admits, slowly.

I can see he still doesn't want to leave Aura here. Frankly, neither do I. The little sprite's been my sister in name and in heart for most of her life. It'll be hard to leave her, but at the same time I know I have to, and the thought of what might happen to her if she were to come with us, or to get caught only increases my desire for her to remain here. The same line of thought is probably running through Kite's mind, too.

"I talked it over with Faille, and, after thinking about it and getting used to the idea, she accepted it," I continue. "Because Morganna did send out a short description of each of us, she and I talked over a few options for Aura, a few disguises. Most of them, unfortunately, involve her cutting her hair, but…"

"She'll understand," murmurs Kite, unhappily. "It'll be hard for all of us to say good bye."

I nod, then pull my knees up to my chin, curling myself up. "Yeah. So… She'll stay here, then. For… for how long?"

"Until it's safe."

I sigh. "And when will that be?"

Kite looks up, his cerulean eyes meeting my own lavender. Those normally tranquil pools are filled with uncertainty and worry. He looks away again, shaking his head. "I just don't know."

Both of us are silent for several long moments. Aura stirs in her sleep, turning towards the wall. Then, she is still again, her chest rising and falling with each gentle breath. The space between my shoulder blades decides to remind me that it is extremely itchy. Therefore, I rub the fabric of my clothing against it. It temporarily relieves the itching, but then it comes back in full force. I give up and do my best to ignore it; it has to just be a bug bite, or several bug bites all right next to each other, judging from the small lump there.

Kite leans against the wall, pulling one knee to his chest. "And what will become of us?" he asks, suddenly.

Blinking at him, I say nothing for a moment, unsure just what to say. In the end, I settle with a shrug. "That's up to us, I suppose. We should probably find out more about Lord Orca's book."

Kite nods, satisfied. It seems that's the answer he expected from me. "Aura seemed to recognize it when she saw it. So, we can ask her what she knows when she wakes up."

He shoots me a hard look. "You weren't thinking of leaving before she woke up, were you?"

I shake my head, giving him a horrified expression. Then I smile. "You don't honestly think I'd leave without saying good bye!"

He returns the smile. Then we both sigh.

"Well, we can use whatever Aura knows to plan our next step," he said. Then, an odd look crosses his face. "You know, Aura knows some weird things, things you wouldn't expect her to know. Especially at that age."

I nod. "Yes. But, she's not like us. She's not like Mother. She's not really like anyone. I don't know where Mother found her, but I'm guessing she's from the Lunari."

"Huh? What makes you think that?"

"Well, from what I've heard, the Lunari are always really pale and tend to have white or silver hair. Besides, they are said to be really powerful, but they have queer powers and know a lot about really strange things. And they hide away from the rest of the world because they are afraid people would become jealous of their complete control over wave energy."

"Wait, don't you control wave energy?"

"Yes and no. I can channel it, and I can guide it, but I can't control it the way the Lunari do. According to legend, they wield it without effort. While the so-called wavemasters, like me, can channel the various elements of wave energy individually, or even a few at a time, it is technically impossible for us to channel all six elements, plus healing energy at the same time, or even to channel too much of the wave energy at a time. Furthermore, we are limited to the six natural elements and healing. Supposedly, the Lunari can wield an eighth element, though what it is, I am not entirely sure. But, the Lunari can also channel all the elements together. In other words, they can wield pure wave energy, which is infinitely powerful."

"Oh. I see… I think." Kite still looks somewhat confused. He can use magic scrolls to use a brief spurt of wave energy, and Lord Orca taught him a bit about the different elements, but he hasn't had the schooling in it I've had, especially under my mother's tutelage. "Do you know where they live?"

I shake my head. "No, but we might be able to find out."

"How?"

"The Guardians."

"You mean like that globby thing?"

"Sort of… You know the statues you find in the old temples, and in the old ruins scattered about?"

"What about them?"

"Well, most of them are made in the fashion of one of the six natural elemental guardians. You might have heard their names before. Wryneck, for instance, is the Guardian of Shadows."

"I've heard of him. He's mentioned in kids' tales, right? The one who brings dark dreams, and who commands the things that go bump in the night."

I chuckle softly. "That's how he's portrayed. Supposedly, he actually exists. Somewhere there's a shrine to him, and if a summoner worthy of his favor comes along and prays to him, then he will grant that summoner the right to summon him in battle. I don't need to summon him or the others so much as gain some of their knowledge."

"So, if you can find the shrines, you can ask them stuff?"

I shrug. "Who knows. This is all rumor and legend I'm talking about."

Kite sighs, exasperated. "Then what good is it?"

"All myth has some basis in fact."

Kite rolls his eyes. I sigh.

"Well, it's better than nothing," I state, sticking my tongue out at him.

He returns the favor. It is at this moment, Faille pokes her head into the small room.

"I'm going to bed now," she said. "Kite… If you need a place to sleep, there's another bed roll in the main room."

Kite looks up at he. "Thank you, miss," he says, bowing.

She smiles sadly. "Just call me Faille. Good night, you two…"

And then she's gone. Kite and I listen to her shuffle to her own bedroom – a room smaller than this one. After a few minutes, the soft sounds of settling are gone, and we can only assume that she is sleeping, or near to sleeping, anyway. We look at each other, each debating what to say, whether to keep talking, or to go to sleep – I in here, he out there, not that propriety much matters to us at this juncture.

We've known each other since he turned up near Lia Fail in the dead of a particularly bitter winter seven years ago – well, eight this winter. I was the one who found him, actually… unconscious in the middle of a clearing just outside one of the ruins near the City in the Trees. (That's just what Lia Fail is called. Probably because it's in the middle of a huge forest with buildings on the ground, buildings on platforms suspended between trees, and, of course, buildings in trees. At many levels, too. It's not nearly as large as Carmina Gadelica or Mac Anu, but it's still pretty big. )

Being the good little obedient child I was, I sneaked out from under the watchful eyes of varying people I didn't know, and didn't really care about – I hadn't been to Lia Fail in ages because Mother rarely brought Aura or I with her when she came to either attend to the local matters with the local nobility, or to just get away from the bustle of Mac Anu and Carmina Gadelica. (Lia Fail and those two cities are the three 'hubs' of our kingdom, empire, whatever it is. I mean, mother rules most of the continent, and she apparently ruled it rather well for a while, when I was really little. Then, she started getting weird a little before she found Aura. As I've said before, I have no clue how or where Morganna obtained the girl. It doesn't matter much now, anyway. We treat each other as sisters whether we're actually related or not.) Anyway, while skipping off to explore the local temple ruins, (even as a little kid, I guess I heard and felt the thrumming call of those centers of magic and summoning), I stumbled across Kite lying in the snow. I don't know how he got there – there weren't any footprints or anything – and neither does he. It's one of the great mysteries of his past. OK, so his entire past is a mystery, since he doesn't remember a thing except his name, or what he thought was his name. But, at the time…

Since he was out cold, so to speak, and my Repth (healing spells) were only good for scrapes and bruises at the time, I dragged him into the entryway of the temple and then started a fire just outside. Thank goodness for Vak Don, the spell for fireballs. He came around eventually, and that was when we first met. Actually met. Sure, I'd been poking him, trying to get _some_ reaction for the past hour, but that was when we introduced ourselves.

. : _"Good. You've finally woken up. I was beginning to wonder if you really were dead, or had hypothermia," say I._

_The boy, still groggy, just kind of stares at me for a moment. Then, putting a hand to his head – which must be throbbing, judging from the way his expression's all twisted – he sits up, looking around. "Where am I?"_

"_In the entryway of a somewhat in tact temple ruin near the outskirts of Lia Fail," I supply._

_He just looks even more confused, if possible. "Uh… Where's that?"_

_I raise my eyebrows. "You really don't know?"_

_He shakes his head._

"_Good. Neither do I. This is the first time I've been here that I recall. Who are you, anyway?"_

"_Ah… Ki… Kit…. Kite." He frowns, as if unsure whether that really is his name. Then, he shakes his head. "I think it's Kite, but…" He shakes his head again, as if trying to clear it._

"_Kite, eh? I'm Tsukasa. I think. Last time I checked I was."_

_He actually looks me in the eye now, a ghost of a smile appearing on his lips. "Pleased to meet you. I think."_

_We both laugh. I continue to pelt him with questions for another hour, in which I give him all of the snack I'd brought with me. He certainly seems hungry. I think I would be, too, if I'd been stuck out in the snow for a long time._ : .

I was a lot chattier and more innocent back then. We both were… What ever happened?

Later, I'd brought him back to Lia Fail, where I received a sound scolding and punishment. However, Mother and some of the nobles seemed interested in Kite. Lord Orca – though normally a resident of Mac Anu, he had come with us for some reason or other – took a liking to Kite, and, since he had no children of his own, Lord Orca adopted him. And, since I spent most of my time in Mac Anu or Carmina Gadlica, I saw Kite frequently. Heh. We got into so much mischief together, doing our best to irritate Lord Orca, and the other nobles, and trying to loose Aura who tailed after us. It's kind of ironic how things have turned out.

A soft stirring snaps me instantly out of my musings. I glance once at Kite, and it seems that he was lost in his own musings, as well. Then, we turn our attention to Aura, who blinked her eyes, blearily focusing upon the world around her, starting with me. Her eyes… They were the same shade as mine; the same peculiar lilac-violet color that turns kind of gray when we're upset or angry… or both. But right now, hers are soft and sleepy.

"Tsukasa," she murmurs, her voice soft and gentle as her eyes at this moment.

I smile down at her. "Hey, Aura. How you feelin'?"

She stretches her delicate arms above her head, then sits up. "Pretty good. You guys?" Her eyes turn meaningfully to Kite's ribs.

"I'm healing," he says. "Tsukasa's spell worked well enough that I doubt there'll even be much of a scar."

Aura nods, then looks at me. "What about you?"

"I'm fine," I say with a sigh. "Still a little tired, but I think that's more a symptom of the time of day than anything else."

She smiles, although she probably knows nothing is fine right now. Suddenly, an utterly serious look steals over her face, and Aura regards both Kite and myself with great solemnity.

"You don't need to hide anything from me," she says. "Please, tell me: Are you two going to leave me here?"

Kite shifts uncomfortably, and so do I. However, I am saved from answering by Kite's nod.

"Yes," he murmurs, exhaling. "We… can't protect you. But you'll be safe here, or at least as safe as you can be." A sad smile touches his face. "It'll be pretty fun for you. You'll get to disguise yourself, and you'll be with Faille. She's really nice."

"And she's a better cook than I am," I add.

Aura arches an eyebrow at me. "That isn't a hard goal to accomplish, although I admit you make a pretty good stew, and yummy cookies." She makes a face. "You always burn everything."

"She's right. Remind me to do the cooking when we're on our own," says Kite.

I stick my tongue out at both of them. "Hey, I'm not _that_ bad, and I am getting better."

"True," agrees Kite. "You only burn everything three-quarters of the time."

I throw the pillow from my pallet at him. He catches it easily, despite the relatively high velocity it was flung at. Then again, he's always been one of the fastest people I know. Anyway, he chuckles softly, as does Aura, and I can't help but smile. However, my smile vanishes with a weary sigh as the realization that this is probably one of the last times all three of us will be together like this for a long time. Possibly forever. Yup. That thought is definitely a bright and shiny one to treasure.

"You know," says Kite after a moment to Aura. "You'll have to cut your hair, and you'll probably have to dress like a boy."

She looks sad about having to cut her hair, but when Kite mentions the part about dressing like a boy, she makes a face. "Oh dear god, no! I'll take my chances alone in a cave somewhere if I have to dress like you."

"What? You don't like how I dress?" asks Kite.

"Well, your hat _is_ pretty dorky…" say I.

"It is not!" he exclaims.

"Is too," retort Aura and I at the same time.

"You're just jealous," replies Kite, sniffing.

"No… I already have a hat," I say.

"It's just as dorky."

"No, actually, it isn't," interjects Aura. "It doesn't have earflaps."

"What's wrong with earflaps? They keep your ears warm."

I roll my eyes. "Then how come you never buckle them together to keep the fastened over your ears?"

"Because then I can't hear."

"You never listen, anyway, so what difference would it make?" I ask.

"Ouch," is all that Kite says. Then, standing up, he adds, "Well, if you two are done insulting me, I do believe I'll retire for the night."

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad to see people like my random ideas. X.x

I hope you guys continue to like this story. Err… This chapter doesn't really have any action whatsoever. It's all talk, but hopefully it'll explain a few things… and raise a few questions. Yes, I'm purposefully keeping you guys in the dark about some things. However, feel free to ask any question you want. I'll answer it if I am able without spoiling anything much…

Reviewer Replies:

**Kitsunia**: It's all right. I was just ragging on you because I could... Yes! Go you! Did you actually know the words, or did you look them up? If you knew them off the top of your head, that's amazing! (Me, I know them because of my mother, who is an English major, and from flipping around thesauri and dictionaries. ) Thankies!

** AngelYoshi:** Well, I finished Fragments, so.. no! Thanks for revieiwing!

**Shiner:** Actually, I started on a story some time ago in which The World was a real place, and it wasn't that great, and I just didn't feel like continuing it, much less posting it. But, in that... I used a pretty similar geneology to what I'm using in this story. So... that's the main reason.. Besides... well.. nevermind.. I don't want to spoil it too much, but the itching in her back has something to do with it...

**Dragon's Hitokiri: ** Thanks a lot! Ok.. If you want to read about & download the trailer of .hack G.U. go to . It's a lovely site. Hmm.. Something different than a poking war, eh? -poke- Well, I'll leave it up to you to figure that out.

**Twilight Memories**: Sweet! Y'know.. I think I'm the only person in this entire site who has written a KiteTsukasa fic... I looked around, but... This and Fragments seem to be the only ones.. O.o Shame, because they make a cute couple. Oh, and it was only about one and a quarter pages worth of notes... Hehe

Preview of 'Chapter III : Moonlight Sonata'

_Note: Chapter title and content subject to change without notice._

I sigh, shake my head and move to the door. Cool night air would do me good, I think. Faille locked it, I see. Oh well. It's not like I'll stray out of sight from the door, so if anyone tries to enter, I'll see them. As I turn from closing the door, I see, or at least think I see, a dark figure flit furtively from one shadow to the other. But, then I don't see anymore flitting as I look harder. 

"Who's there…?" I call softly, soft enough that no one in Faille's house or any other house could hear me, but loud enough that one who was spying, listening with attentive ears would hear.

All I hear in response is a soft, muffled chuckle...


	3. Chapter II : Moonlight Staccatto

**Antilogy of the Crepuscule **  
_By Sargent Snarky_

Disclaimer: I do not own the .hack franchise, though I wish I did. Unfortunately, wishes are neither horses, nor other concrete things… So I am neither a riding beggar nor the owner of .hack.

Disclaimer number two: I have realized, in rereading Wind Kaze's Paradise Sin that I have unconsciously borrowed some ideas… No, I haven't borrowed any plot, so far as I can tell, but just details, such as having all the people with wings be a separate race, as well as a couple other things. Speaking of Paradise Sin, I think you should all go and read it! It is an awesome story by an awesome writer! Go, therefore, and read…

* * *

**Chapter II   
Moonlight Staccato**

_Interlude time… ( I'll sometimes have these bits in third person that pertain to, but don't necessarily involve Kite or Tsukasa. Therefore, I can't really tell them from their points of view, can I? Thus, these are called interludes, much like the prologue…)_

The green haired youth lay upon the branch, or at least most of him did. One arm and the opposite leg dangled, each swaying slightly, perhaps due to the breeze, or perhaps due to the boy's inability to stay still for long, even when asleep. No matter the reason, such was the position in which The Magician found him.

Though one might expect anyone with the title 'magician' to be male, this magician was, in fact, female. And she was called such merely because of a few odd powers that did not stem from wave energy. She knew full well what her own powers were, how to use them, and where they came from, but she wasn't telling. So, people called her The Magician.

The Magician was a cat, or at least an anthropoid cat. She stood upon her hind legs (which were still joined like a cat's), wore clothing and watched the boy in the tree with intelligent golden eyes. Though most magic users worked best with staves, The Magician had a sword strapped to her back. Her fur was for the most part purple, but the insides of her long ears were white, as was her muzzle, her belly and her feet.. er… paws.

Those paws were mostly masked by white spats, and a pair of green leggings were tucked into those. Her hands were covered by a pair of thick gloves, and the loose sleeves of a tan blouse were tucked into them. A darker tan green vest-like tunic lay over that, kept close to her body by a braided leather belt about her slim waist. Atop her head sat an odd pointed hat, out of which her ears protruded.

A smile curled her lips, her pointed fangs glittering in the moonlight and starlight. Her pupils – so wide that they were no longer slits, but great ovals – gleamed with that strange light so peculiar to the optics of cats. Faint sounds caught at her ears, and the two long swiveling triangles flicked this way and that, but her attention was on the sleeping boy. The smile grew from merely an amused one to one of mischeif, and her tail twitched with anticipation.

With all the silence her felinity could muster, she climbed slowly up the tree, careful to avoid the limb upon which the boy was precariously sleeping. Instead, she perched upon the branch above and leant down so that her face was but a few inches from the boy's.

Baring her teeth in her best 'friendly' snarl, she said, "Boo!"

However, rather than starting and falling out of the tree like any normal person would have done, the boy merely opened one crimson eye. "Hello, Mia," he greeted, his tone more of a sigh than anything else.

"What the? How…? Wha…?" The Magician nearly fell out of her tree with her own inarticulate surprise. Her eyes narrowed into a feral glare. "You little jerk! You _knew_ I was there, didn't you, Sora!"

The boy grinned. "Mm… Maybe."

A soft giggle of laughter from beneath another tree announced the presence of a third individual. This one, too, had crimson eyes, but they were darker, more like wine than Sora's, which were red like blood. The mirth in the boy's giggle did not reach his eyes; they were vacant, and yet deeply grieving… the eyes of one who had know too deep a sorrow for his young age. Strangely, or perhaps not so strangely,

The third had slightly shorter than chin length cyan hair sticking out from beneath a dark blue hat adorned with a few small stones that matched his eyes. His wavemaster robes were blue as well, or at least the outer one was. His second layer was gray, but the only parts of it showing were a hood and long sleeves. The shirt he wore underneath it all was red.

The wavemaster carried a staff with him that had a long silver pole, at the top of which, a heavy red ribbon was twined about and tied, with the remainder left free to flutter. The staff was capped on either end by a dull gold colored metal. However, on one end, a segment rather like a broken rim of a brown striped cream round shell protruded, fashioned much like a shepherd's crook. Within, an orb of ever shifting blues, cyans and aquamarines (think of a tropical ocean) floated, catching the moonlight.

Sora looked sidelong at the wavemaster before rolling off of the branch and landing in a crouch. "So I see you're still tagging along, Elk," said the boy by way of greeting.

Elk sighed, the mirth disappearing from his face so that the only real expression came from those vacant, sad eyes. "It's not like I have anywhere to go," he muttered, almost too softly to be heard.

Sora seemed unaffected. "Whatever."

Mia jumped down from the tree, landing softly beside Sora. "So," she said. "Did you find them?"

"Of course. Do you honestly think I'd be sitting around in a tree waiting for you if I hadn't?"

"Yes," said Elk, joining the two. "It'd be just like you to let your attention waver and forget all about them."

Sora stuck his tongue out at Elk.

"Now boys, don't fight," chided Mia.

"We weren't fighting," said Elk.

"At least not yet," added Sora.

Mia rolled her eyes. "Right," she drawled. "Anyway, Sora… you said you'd found them. Where?"

* * *

(Kite's POV)

I can't sleep at all. Sure, I tried, and I did doze off for a little, but… the dreams came… The god-awful memory…

_. : Tsukasa and Aura have finally arrived at the meeting spot after a brief foray to a nearby town. Both look somewhat disturbed about something, and Tsukasa looks tired. We all are tired. We've been fleeing for a bit over two days now. I shoot her a questioning look, but Lord Orca gives us no time to reconnoiter. He says we are to leave at once, and we are all ready to go. Indeed, we are leaving when Aura stiffens, gasping. _

_She moans softly, a moan of dread: "It's coming… It's too late!"_

_Tsukasa, after a moment, seems to sense whatever frightens Aura, and her expression morphs into an odd mixture of puzzlement and dread. "What… What _is_ it?" she whispers softly as we hurry on._

_And, suddenly, Lord Orca and I need no longer worry about what 'it' is, for the air crackles around us, and a snarling hiss announces the arrival of 'it.' The floor appears like liquid for a brief moment, and a strange, frightening creature wielding a strange red wand materializes. I glance at Tsukasa and Aura as I move protectively in front of them, my twin blades gripped tightly in my hands. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tsukasa's staff appear in her hands (she learned an interesting spell a while back that causes a magical staff to pretty much disappear, only to reappear upon the command of the user. She's imbued her staff with it. I only wish it worked on swords and things, too.), and I see Aura huddle up close to her sister._

_Lord Orca stares at the monstrosity with wide eyes for a moment. "So… it's true, then…" His face then looses all wonder, and he crouched into a fighting stance. "Run!" he shouts. "Kite, take the girls and run. Wait… Take the book, too."_

_Since I'm standing right next to Lord Orca, it is easy for him to hand me the leather case , which I loop over my shoulder. However, I'm not willing to leave him here, and neither are Tsukasa or Aura. Almost absently, I note that the creature – whatever it is – stares hard at Tsukasa and Aura, and it seems to hesitate for a brief moment. I glance back at the two girls, and I notice them staring back. They seem to be listening to something, though to what I have no idea._

_In the moment I look away, however, the creature strikes. It slashes down at Lord Orca with its massive staff. However, Lord Orca is not one of the most widely respected swordsmen for nothing. He blocks it easily, and, though he seems surprised by the thing's strength, he swings around, slicing straight through the creature. _

_Wait a minute… Straight through! No, wait… The creature dodged him! What the hell! How! I stare, dumbfounded, even as Lord Orca again shouts for me to leave and take the girls. He performs another series of swift, powerful attacks, but to no avail. They do not touch the creature. Again, what the hell!_

"_Kite, damn it, get the hell out of here!" Lord Orca shouts as he tries to lay a blow upon the creature one more time._

_It is a vain attempt. However, this thing seems to have grown bored with its game. In two swift strikes, it has knocked Lord Orca's sword flying, and it has knocked Lord Orca back several feet where he crumples, clutching at his abdomen and trying to stand upon shaking legs. No, they don't shake out of fear, but merely of a reaction to the creature's too powerful blow. I see Lord Orca wince in pain with even the slightest movement._

"_Orca," I cry out, running two steps towards him before two pairs of hands grab me._

_Tsukasa and Aura drag me away. "Please Kite," says Aura. "We must run."_

_Tsukasa agrees with an anxious nod. "It's… A summoned creature… The most powerful I've ever seen… ever sensed. Lord Orca told us to run…"_

"_We can't just leave him!" I cry, jerking free of the girls' grips._

_I make as if to run towards my mentor, my teacher, my father figure… But I stop, staring in horror as the creature's staff suddenly teleports behind Lord Orca. He is jerked upward, pinned to the stave, though he does not actually touch it. I see his face twisted in pain as he struggles to be free… As he struggles hopelessly._

"_Kite, Please!" begs Aura, trying to tear me away from the scene. Tears have already formed in the corners of her eyes, but I cannot move. I am rooted to the spot. Then suddenly, I am free to move._

"_No!" I scream as the creature advances upon Lord Orca, helpless to escape._

_It pauses, looking at me as I run towards it. It probably laughs inside, wondering at how a boy could be so stupid. But there I was, running with all speed, my blades drawn and glowing. Why are they glowing? I haven't the faintest idea, but I don't really care. I leap between the creature and Orca, and I actually manage to land a hit on the thing. To my surprise, and its, too, I think, the blade bites into its stony flesh, and it recoils. With a grunt, it slaps me with its claws, leaving a nasty slice across my ribs, and sending me flying into one of the many random stony mounds in this hilly area._

_I connect painfully with the rock, and fall dazed to the ground… right onto a stick, which further gouges my wound. Blood seeps out faster than it ought, even for a serious wound such as this, – probably because my heart is racing. Still, I push myself to my hands and knees, though my now rather bruised body screams to lie still. Tsukasa and Aura are racing over to me, but my eyes are fixed upon the creature and upon Lord Orca. Vaguely I notice that my blades are lying right next to me where I dropped them upon impact, and they no longer glow._

_The creature, now firmly ignoring me, the little insect I am compared to it (albeit an insect with a bite), comes close to Lord Orca, then reaches forward, its claws piercing into his flesh… but not coming out upon the other side. Lord Orca screams (and I've never so much as heard him complain about any injury) in agony, but no blood falls upon the ground. In fact, no wounds are to be seen. Aura and Tsukasa are staring, too, stricken with horror and sorrow._

_And then the screams are abruptly silenced as the thing withdraws its claws, pulling with it a blue-gray-white wraith… I realize, suddenly, that that is Lord Orca's soul. Lord Orca's body drops limply to the ground, still alive… but soul-less. The monster's staff appears again in the hand holding the soul, and the soul, writhing and trying to escape, is fused with the staff, disappearing into the strange red material._

_Only now does the fiend truly turn its attention on us. We have nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Next to me, I hear Tsukasa chanting softly. Aura is holding onto her, Tsukasa his holding onto her staff, holding it above her head, and Aura is also holding onto me, I realize. A teleportation spell? But surely Tsukasa isn't advanced far enough in her studies… That is a high level spell…_

_But it works… I have just enough sense to grasp my blades before we disappear. But then we don't disappear. The spell fails, and we are left at the mercy of this creature… : ._

And that's when I sat bolt upright upon my pallet, my breathing ragged and shallow, the still healing slice burning, and myself broken out in a cold sweat. I sat, staring off into space for several long moments before I even began to calm down. I'm calm now, just a few minutes later, but still shaken. No, I won't be going back to sleep tonight. Even though I remind myself that the teleportation spell worked, though it left all of us quite exhausted, the possibilities of what could have occurred if Tsukasa had failed keep running through my head, melding with true memories to create one horrid nightmare. Granted, that experience was a nightmare to begin with…

Shivering, but not because of any chill air, I get up and step quietly over to the small room in which Tsukasa and Aura sleep. I look in, more to reassure myself once again that it was only a dream than for anything else. They both look so peaceful when sleeping. Then again, Aura usually looks peaceful. It amazes me how that kid can always remain calm. Even when Tsukasa and I used to ditch her and go running off to explore some place sans our little tag-a-long, that little tag-a-long never threw a fit, or got mad. She didn't even cry. But the look she'd give us when we returned usually made us feel three times as guilty as any other reaction she might have had.

I really ought to be sleeping, too. It's pretty likely that Tsukasa and I will be leaving tomorrow, and it would be best if we were both well rested. However, as I said, I won't be going back to sleep this night.

Heh. They both must still be tired if they're able to go back asleep like that. Although, it was their magic that let us escape, not mine. And it was Tsukasa's magic that healed me. Until we were on the run, I never truly realized how much potential she has to become a great wavemaster, possibly one of the best ever seen. She's so far ahead of any other wavemaster in her age group, or supposed level. I wonder why she never let on how much power she has? I wonder if her mother knew…?

My eyes travel back to Tsukasa, who lies with one arm protectively draped across Aura's shoulders, and remain upon that girl for some time. I study her face as it is illuminated by the dim fairy light hanging from Faille's ceiling. It is pale, yet not pallid. The smooth skin covers a delicately boned structure framed by ragged silver hair. I don't know why she keeps it cut short. I think long hair would suit her well. It would bring out her beauty more. Besides, she used to have long hair when we first met… and it was easier to get her attention by pulling on it.

Much as she takes pains to deny it, Tsukasa is actually quite lovely when she takes the time to do anything with herself. Since she is usually dressed in the loose robes of a wavemaster, her feminine figure remains masked, like her lovely lavender eyes are hidden by the shadow of a hat and bangs. However, I've seen her with her hair all done up, and wearing a proper dress… and… wow! She was beautiful.

I told her how much she looked like a girl. She hit me rather hard, as I recall. I didn't take the hint and kept reminding her of the fact for at least another month – as long as I had the bruise. I still remind her from time to time. It does her good to remember that she is indeed female.

I remain gazing at the pair, wrapped in memories and thoughts for at least ten minutes. Then, with a soft sigh, I shake my head and move to the door. Cool night air would do me good, I think. Faille locked it, I see. Oh well. It's not like I'll stray out of sight from the door, so if anyone tries to enter, I'll see him or her, as the case may be. As I turn from closing the door, I see, or at least think I see, a dark figure flit furtively from one shadow to the other. But, it is only once, and I suddenly doubt I saw anything. Still…

"Who's there…?" I call softly, soft enough that no one in Faille's house or any other house could hear me, but loud enough that one who was spying, listening with attentive ears would hear.

All I hear in response is a soft, muffled chuckle. I am suddenly glad I am wearing my shoes, clothing, and have my weapons on me. My hands rest upon the hilts of my twin blades, and my eyes scan the area as I back towards the door. No, I'm not running, but I don't want anyone sneaking into the house, and it's good to have something at your back. That way, it's harder for something to sneak up on you because it has to come from the sides or the front. That's one of many things Lord Orca taught me before… before… No! I came out here just so I _wouldn't_ think about that.

I see a flicker of movement between two nearby houses and a tree, and I hear a soft swish. My grip upon the hilts of my blades tightens. Something shifts in the shadows beneath that tree, and I see a faint glitter of blue. I draw my blades, making sure that they catch the light.

"I said 'who's there' and I'd like an answer."

"No one," answers a low, purring sort of female voice.

"Go back to bed," continues a male voice in a sing-song tone. "You know you want to."

I sigh. Really, this is not the relaxing gaze at the stars I'd hoped it would be. "No one? But, how can no one speak and still have a voice?"

A faint whisper reaches my ears. I think it's the sing-song one. "Oooh. Great! He has a sense of humor." The whisper is without sarcasm.

I arch an eyebrow, confident they can see me, since I stand in full moonlight. (Ok, so it isn't full. It's only half full, but it is bright.) However, I say nothing. Now that my eyes have adjusted a little more, I can see two or three indistinct shapes standing there. Hmm.. Definitely three.

"I'll ask one more time," I say after a few moments of silence. "Who is there?"

"We are," answer three voices at once – the two I'd heard before, and another, less confident, quieter voice. I think it's a guy's, but I can't quite tell.

At this I roll my eyes. "Obviously," I reply, dryly. "Why are you spying on me?"

"Because," replies the sing-songer.

I sigh… loudly.

"Perhaps you would find us less frustrating if you asked the right questions," suggested the female voice.

"All right then," I say, realizing their game. "What are your names and any titles you might have?"

"Mia, The Magician," replies the female.

"Sora," replies the sing-song one.

"… Elk," replies the third, voice barely above a whisper. However, this time I can tell. It's a guy. And he sounds like he really doesn't want to be doing this.

"For what reasons are you spying on me?" I ask.

"You're interesting," says Mia.

"And we're bored," adds Sora.

"But it's time for us to go," continues Mia.

"Pleasure meeting you," says Sora.

"Good bye," finishes Mia.

And then… there's a faint ripple in the air around them and they're gone. What the heck?

* * *

Author Notes:

Feel free to ask any questions. Don't expect me to necessarily answer all of them, but I'll try, unless it involves giving something away that I don't want to give away.

About the characters appearing in this story:

Elk: I know, I know… He isn't acting very Elkish. The reason for that is: I'd think he'd act less shy and more friendly with people he'd have known a long time. Don't worry. He'll be more Elkish later. Don't worry. His age is about fourteen or fifteen. (I haven't decided exact ages yet…)

Mia: Um… There's not much I can say without revealing too much. She's… Mia. The Magician. You'll find out plenty about her later. Ok? Her age remains secret.

Sora: The Happy Go Lucky sneak. Hehe… He's not so innocent as he seems. And in this, his age is about twelve or thirteen I think. Yes, he still has his katars. –shifty eyes-

Kite: Umm.. Fifteen years old. He wields twin blades, and he's pretty good with them. I'll clarify his relationship with Tsukasa and Aura (as of this point in time story-wise), however. Tsukasa found Kite when they were both about six years old. As to how, that's already been explained. And how Kite wound up under the care of Orca shall be explained later. Anyway, since Orca technically served Morganna, and Tsukasa is Morganna's daughter (albeit illegitimately), the two were often around each other anyway. Thus, friendship. And, at the moment, they are more like brother and sister than anything else. And yet…

Tsukasa: Morganna's illegitimate daughter. Father? Balmung. Well, supposedly anyway. No one has ever actually told Tsukasa who her father was. O.o She's a wavemaster, and a damn good one, especially for her age, though she's no match for skilled, trained and experienced wavemasters... She also, since she's of royal blood, can summon at least the Guardian… Which is just like the Guardian from SIGN. Most wavemasters, however, can't summon. Besides the blood, why can she? Simple. I think I alluded to this, but I might be mistaken: The royal bloodline to which she and Morganna belong is a line of summoners… She's fifteen, by the way.

Aura: Only ten or eleven, she's an adopted daughter of Morganna. No one quite knows where and how Morganna came by her… But… Oh well. She used to tag a long after Tsukasa and Kite when those two'd wander off. It's only been in recent years that they haven't tried to ditch her every time. Tsukasa looks on her as a little sister, and Kite's view of her varies from her as a sister to her as a friend's sister. O.o If you have friends with siblings you known a while, perhaps you know what I mean.

Umm… I'm too lazy to list off other people to whom I've referred at some point or other. And I think with these descriptions, I may have confused you even more. Sorry.

**By the way, **if anyone knows the Japanese word for 'air', 'breeze', 'wind' or anything like that, I'd appreciate it if you could tell me... I -know- _kamekazi _means 'divine wind'.. But... -sigh- I'm no good with Japanese. I really want to learn, but, sadly, I have not as of yet...

_Reviewers!_

hugs- I love reviews... Even if they're bad. Why? Because it means people actually read my stuff..

**Angelyoshi**: Just go to the main page and click on "Log In." It's at the top on the right. XD Today I was reflecting on people's usernames, and yours got me cracking up… I was picturing Yoshi (as in Mario's pet) with angel wings and a halo. Hehehe.. Um.. Sorry. Anyway, yeah… I was thinking of my own group of friends when I wrote that. I was also thinking of us when I wrote the part with Sora, Mia and Elk. Hehe… I'm glad you like this story!

**Dragon's Hitokiri:** Glad to be of service! Muahahaha…

**Shiner:** It _is_ a shame that I am the only one who has done a Kite and Tsukasa pairing. I personally think they are so cute together. If I could draw worth crap, then I'd sooo draw a bunch of pictures. I did find some fanart someone drew somewhere that had the two of them together, but they weren't drawing them as a couple… Still, they looked cute together. Anyway, do you really know about the itch? Hmm.. Keep your guess silent! ; )

Yes, the guardians are based off of each element. Repth is healing, Rai is thunder/lightening, Gan is earth, Vak is fire, Juk is wood, Rue is water, Ani is darkness. Or, at least the spells are. The actual guardian names are based off of the summons you can do in the game. So, Merrows is water, Vulcan is fire, et cetera. But, no… Don't get it into your head that each one is a jelly barbell. O.o They aren't. As for the rumored eighth element… I'm not saying! Although, I will say now that I'm changing wood to air. Hm.. I need to look up the Japanese for Air.

**Twilight Memories**: Hmm? I thought I said the Morganna was the ruler… O.o Oops. Oh well, suffice it to say that she happens to be Queen of Mac Anu, Carmina Gadelica and, I think, Lia Fail. Balmung happens to rule Fort Ouph. As for Dun Loireag… I'm not sure yet.

Anyway, Kite's had _is_ dorky. That's what I love about it. I wish I could steal the hats of several video game characters, including Kite, Tsukasa, Elk, and Link (Legend of Zelda). I love Link's hat. I do have a hat kind of like it, though, except it's blue and has a tassel at the end. Anyway, As for Kite changing. Um.. Wait and see.

Yes, the muffled chuckle is Sora. And I know I'm right. I'm the only one with a KiteTsukasa pairing.

**Kitsunia: **Pixies..? Oh god no! -hides behind Kite- Yay for walking dictionaries! I'm one, too.. or at least some people think I am. O.o Just because I've read dictionaries doesn't mean I am one. Aren't thesauri and dictionaries great, though? Hmm… But you're going to be an English major? Spiffy. My mother is one! And Grammar is fun… Although, when your teacher spends half a year on the Odyssey, you tend to despair of English class ever being fun again… O.o Thankfully I will NOT have the same teacher next year.

Glad you liked this chapter! Hehe… I like insulting dorky hatted people. Especially when they are the main characters. Hey! -points- I've written more! See?


	4. Chapter III: Hello, Goodbye

**Antilogy of the Crepuscule** _  
By Sargent Snarky_

Disclaimer: I do not own the .hack franchise, though I wish I did. Unfortunately, wishes are neither horses, nor other concrete things… So I am neither a riding beggar nor the owner of .hack.

Disclaimer number two: I have borrowed some ideas from Wind Kaze's Paradise Sin, another story in which The World is a real place and not a game. I have Wind Kaze's permission, so… you can't flame me on that account! Buahahahah! -ahem- Go read it, though. It's awesome!

Thanks to Twilight for beta-ing this!

* * *

** Chapter III   
Hello, Goodbye**

(Tsukasa's P.O.V.)

"Wait, what? You went outside in the middle of the night?" I ask, now fully alert as Kite's babble sinks in through the layer of I-just-woke-up-and-am-not-quite-all-there-just-yet. "Why?"

He sighs, then repeats himself: "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd step outside for a breath of fresh air. I wasn't planning on straying far, so don't give me that look. Anyway, I was barely out the door when I heard some rustling and saw a flicker of movement that was definitely no animal. And then someone laughed. So, naturally, I asked who was there – softly, mind, so it's not like anyone who wasn't within a few feet and listening could have heard. And someone answered, saying no one. But after a bit, I got them to tell me their names –"

"Wait a minute," I interrupt. "'Them?'"

"Yes. There were three of _them_."

"Great. Lovely!"

Kite rolls his eyes at me, but continues without any comment: "Their names, or at least the names they gave, were – for the female – Mia the Magician – and two males – Sora and Elk."

I pause, frowning. Those names seem familiar, or at least two of them, anyway … But… Where have I heard them before? Kite gives me an inquisitive glance, but I ignore him for the moment, striving to recall where I've heard of 'Mia the Magician' and a boy named 'Elk.'

"Tsukasa..?" Kite asks after a couple minutes in which I am lost in thought.

"Hmm?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"I'm trying to remember where I've heard two of those names before…"

"Oh. Well, I know we've heard of The Magician, since she has been in Mac Anu several times. I don't know if it's the same person, though. We never got to see her, though. Or hear her, so I wouldn't be able to tell you if the voices were similar."

"Oh yes, I remember her now. They called her The Magician because she could use some interesting magic without drawing on the wave energy. But, what about Elk? Do you ever remember hearing about a boy named Elk?"

Kite shrugs. "The name's familiar, but I don't actually remember hearing the name anywhere."

I nod and begin to lose myself in thought again. Then it occurs to me where I've heard the name before. "Niravelk."

"What?"

"Niravelk. He used to be a pupil of B.T."

"B.T.?"

"Bitchy Teacher. Also known as the Broad of Terror, to a certain few guys." I smirk at the memory of those few guards who had tried to flirt with B.T. Afterwards, they were a sight: hair burnt nearly to a crisp, their clothing still smoking, and their skin covered in ash, not to mention the hilarious expressions upon their faces. After a moment of reminiscence, I continue, "Actually, those were her initials. I think they stood for Beya… something. I don't remember her real name."

Kite gives me a blank look, so I elaborate: "Don't you remember that impossibly ornery blond wavemaster who occasionally apprenticed prospective magic users in Mac Anu? The one from Dun Loireage?" Kite still doesn't remember, so I specify further: "You know: that woman who, 'as a favor,' taught all of us kids at the palace a few lessons? I think she enjoyed being sadistic with her biting remarks too much for it to have been just 'as a favor.'"

A look of recognition dawned on his face. "Oh. Her." He grimaces. "I thought I could live the rest of my life without thinking of that old sour-puss."

"Heh. Imagine what she would do if she heard you call her that."

"I don't need to imagine. I did call her that, but you really don't need to hear about that. So, what does one of her pupils have to do with anything?"

"Well, Niravelk was usually just called Elk for short. I wonder if the Elk you met was indeed Niravelk. I met him once, but… I don't know anything about him, except that he had really sad, red eyes."

"Sad..?"

"Yes… It wasn't that they in and of themselves were sad, but that they had known great sadness. They had the vacant sort of quality one only gets from seeing too much and never quite recovering… Elk also had bluish hair. That much I remember, too. Otherwise, I don't remember much at all about him. B.T. never told me anything about him, and, as I said, I only met him once."

Kite shrugs. "It could have been him, I suppose. He did hesitate before saying his name, so he could have been debating what to call himself."

"I wonder what those three wanted, though. You didn't get any glimpse of them whatsoever?"

Kite shakes his head. "I could see three shapes, but they were indefinite."

"Hmm… How did they leave?"

"The air rippled around them, and then they were gone."

"What? That's odd. I wonder if it was wave energy… But if they were as close as you said, then I should have felt something…"

Kite shakes his head. "I'm relatively clue-less in that regard… so I don't know how they did it. But, if it was wave energy, shouldn't there have been ring things?"

I shake my head. "Not necessarily. It depends on the type of warping. Standard teleportation spells cause those rings to appear, yes, but there are lesser known, and probably more difficult, spells that are stealthier."

Kite nods. "Oh. I didn't know."

"Well, honestly," I reply in a tone of mock severity. "I'm sorry, but that's just not allowed."

He makes a face at me, and we both laugh a little, though we keep ourselves quiet. First of all, Aura's still sleeping, her head in my lap, and Faille is slumbering as well. Dawn is still a ways off. Despite our attempts to be as silent as possible, however, Aura stirs and awakens again. She frowns blearily and blinks.

"What are you two laughing about?" she asks, her voice slightly slurred by sleepiness.

"Nothing, really, dear. Go back to sleep," I reply.

She rolls her eyes. Really, Aura is surprisingly good at that gesture. I wonder where she picked it up…

"Sure," she says, sounding o-so-sincere. "But how can I sleep with you two talking and giggling?"

"I don't know. You seemed to have been managing just fine," says Kite.

Aura again rolls her eyes, though a soft peal of giggling escapes her lips. "You're silly," she informs Kite. An impish grin curves her lips. "Especially with that hat."

Kite's expression is priceless: A mixture of indignation, exasperation, and playful humor. "Just go back to sleep."

She shakes her head. "Nope. You two woke me up, and I'm not really tired anyway."

Of course, that statement is punctured by a yawn, but we let it go. "Whatever," I say. "But when you fall asleep tomorrow afternoon right after lunch, remember it's your own fault."

A smile of utter innocence graces her lips, but she says nothing. Instead, she sits up, lifting her head off of my lap so she can sit on it, leaning back and resting her head against my shoulder. She squirms a little as she settles, then remains still, apparently content. Glad to know I make a good chair.

"Say," murmurs Kite, a frown crossing his face as he recalls something. "Aura… what do you know about Lord Orca's book?"

"The Book of the Twilight," she whispers. Her eyes take on a distant look, as though she is recollecting something from long neglected memories. "The power it holds may bring forth either salvation or destruction at the whim of its user…"

I blink and so does Kite. He frowns, then fishes around in his pack (which he usually keeps strapped to his back, but now is sitting on the floor next to him). After a moment, he pulls out the book in question. It is decent sized for a book – about eight inches by ten by three quarters – and looks kind of heavy. It's a leather-bound book with a tarnished gold stylized 'claw' at the top and bottom corners opposite the binding, and a strange symbol in the same material on the front cover. The symbol looks at once bizarre, unrecognizable, and yet there's something so familiar about it.

"How were you keeping that in there?" I ask, incredulous that he could fit it into his cylindrical case.

Kite shrugs in reply. "It just fits. I don't know how, but it does."

Aura seems to finally snap back to the present. Her eyes rivet upon the book with unusual concentration.

"Aura?" I ask, but, although she nods, she remains staring at the book.

Kite gives her an odd look, then asks, "Is it the book itself that holds such power, or is it the contents that enable one to hold the power?"

Aura shrugs. "I… don't know. I mean, I know… but I can't remember." She furrows her brow and frowns. "It's very odd. Like what I said before, about the book holding salvation or destruction… I remember, and yet I don't. I can't access the memory."

I nod, though that is indeed perplexing. Kite arches an eyebrow. "Well," he says. "There's one way to find out."

"Kite, wait!" I begin, but too late.

Kite opens the book…

Nothing happens. I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.

"That's weird. For such an important book, it's contents sure are boring," mutters Kite after a few moments of flipping through the pages. "There's nothing written anywhere!"

Both Aura and I speak at once: "Really? Let me see!"

Kite hands over the book, and Aura takes it. She holds it in her small lap as she sits upon mine so we both can see.

"That is weird," comments Aura. "I wonder… I bet the text is hidden, and you need some spell or something to make it visible."

"Like invisible ink," I say. "Only somehow I doubt a little heat will make the words appear in this case."

"Do you remember anything else about this Book of the Twilight?" Kite asks as we peruse the blank pages in hopes of finding _something_.

Aura leans back against me again, tilting her head in thought. "Not really… except I think it doesn't always keep the form of a book. Or at least the power it holds doesn't. It changes form when it chooses a master… or a master chooses it. I'm not sure which."

She yawns and fidgets again, trying desperately not to fall asleep, again. I look down at her with a fond smile. It's a good thing I'm already leaning against the wall, though, otherwise I'd fall backwards.. or my back would get really tired. Kite takes the book from her and, after one last examination, puts it back in his pack. Strangely… the book fits. Whether it shrinks, or what, I don't know, but it fits. Kite and I both stare at the bag for a few moments. Aura twitches a bit more. And yawns.

She really ought to go back to sleep. So, I sing her a song. I don't sing loudly, and I don't need to. She can probably feel the vibrations of my chest anyway. The song I pick has a soft, lulling tune that usually puts Aura right to sleep, or at least calms her down enough that she's out soon after. Usually, I don't pay much attention to the lyrics; I know the song so well, since Mother used to sing it to me when I was really little… before she changed. But, tonight (or, rather, this morning), for some reason, I actually listen to them as I sing.

"A butterfly flaps her wings,

She affects most everything,

A storm out there, it rages through,

Lighting strikes out of the blue,

The sun shines bright,

Though it's the middle of the night,

And I will hold you tight.

In the day you run and play,

And I watch you with joy so wild,

Watch you as you grow…

As you grow,

My little child.

A butterfly flaps her wings,

She affects most everything,

A vicious monster prowls,

With many fearsome growls,

A sing-song bird,

Speaks strange words,

But I will hold you tight,

Yes, I will hold you tight.

In the day you run and play,

And I watch you with joy so wild,

Watch you as you grow…

As you grow,

My little child."

There are a few more verses, much like those, but I don't remember them. It's a rather odd song, I'll admit, but… The tune it follows has always been strangely comforting. But, tonight I think about the lyrics… They're fitting, in a way, because such strange things have been happening, yet every night, I've been there for Aura, and I've held her if she's wanted… But… Soon I won't be there for her.

I sigh, wrapping my arms a little tighter around her, though she does not notice since she's, for all intents and purposes, asleep. I miss her already…

Kite, sitting on the thin mat that was my 'bed,' seems to feel the same way. He leans back, resting his head on the thin, lumpy pillow, sighing.

"What are we going to do, Tsukasa?" he whispers, looking sidelong at me.

I shake my head, but don't answer. He sighs once more. It's still hours until dawn… Still hours until we'll have to talk with Faille and leave Aura behind. My back still itches, but I can't very well scratch it without disturbing Aura, so I do my best to ignore it. I feel my eyes drooping; I still haven't quite gotten all my energy back after… everything. But I've slept for so long and don't want to sleep anymore. I almost laugh at that thought. Sounds just like Aura…

_. : The next thing I know…_

_I stand upon a dusty path, partially overgrown with weeds and grass. It is a little-used path, mostly forgotten, and it stretches away, up a hill. Even standing on my tip-toes, I cannot see over or around that hill. But, I know something is there. A village, or a forest, I don't know. Just… something. I can't tell if it's good or bad. _

_I'm alone. Why am I alone? Where are Kite and Aura? Something is wrong… Where are they? They were just right here… weren't they? A feeling of dread creeps over me. Still, I start along the trail, every step leaving behind a small puff of dust. The farther I go, the closer I am to seeing what lies beyond that hill, the more my dread grows, my worry for Kite and Aura._

_I start running, my anxiety driving me to find out what lies beyond that hill. The trail grows rougher, and I stumble many times. Finally, I reach the crest of the hill and look out. What I see….. is awful to behold. Where behind me was green, before me is dark blue, nearly black, for a great expanse of deep, light-less water is before me. It is like the ocean, and yet not so, for the ocean moves. This water is perfectly still. It could be glass, except that I know, somehow, that it is water._

_Just in front of me, at the edge of this massive lake, there is a remnant of a wide stone bridge. Just the base remains; the actual bridge is long since gone. My eyes follow the line the bridge must have once taken and reach an island sticking up some distance above the water. The entire thing is flat on top, save for a stone railing along the edge and a large, elaborate stone building protruding from its surface. It looks strangely like a temple. The railing, I suddenly notice, does not cover the end facing me. It's as if a large knife just came down and cut the island right there, because that side is absolutely flat._

_For some reason, that sight makes me shiver._

_I step slowly to the edge of the bridge. As I touch the stones, a faint purple flicker appears where the mortar ought to be. It crackles about, racing for the edge, but nothing else happens. On an impulse, I summon my staff to my hand and lift it high. A single purple lightening bolt comes down from the sky on my command, shooting down and around the staff and me, then into the cobbles beneath my feet. I feel nothing, save a tingling warmth. _

_Suddenly, I find myself upon that floating island, and a transparent purple bridge is forming between the island and the shore. At one point not far from the edge of the island, the air shimmers and a slowly spinning portal appears, a golden ring with a purple film suspended inside. I approach the portal. Surprisingly, the transparent bridge feels just like stone._

_As I reach forward to touch that portal, I hear a voice behind me call my name, shouting for me to stop. I can't tell whose voice it is, but it doesn't matter; they are too late. A shower of gold sparkles fills my vision, and I suddenly find myself somewhere completely different._

_I am standing on a thin walkway between two of a great many spires filling all the space around me. Walkways connect them all, but some are broken. Foolishly, I look over the edge. All I see is sky. I look up. Same thing: sky. Yay! A weird floating castle thing!_

_A voice whispers into my ear/The wise one waits…/_

"_Wise one?" I ask._

_/He can help you…/_

_Frowning, I start forward along the walkway, but stop as the Guardian materializes before me, as if I had summoned it. I have not, so I stare at it curiously. It cries softly, speaking its strange language. It tells me to run, to leave._

"_Why?" I ask it._

_It doesn't answer, but tells me to leave while I have time. It says it is sorry… Sorry? For what?_

"_Tsukasa!" says a voice nearby, and I turn to behold Aura on another walkway not far off. "You came! But… it's too late."_

"_Aura! You're all right! Wait there! I'll come get you!"_

_She shakes her head sadly. "No… It's too late for me. You must go! Go now while you can!"_

"_We can't leave with out you!" calls Kite, who is strangely next to me, as if he'd been there all along._

_I am about to agree and add another comment of my own when the air behind her ripples, flickering iridescently. And then, out of that air, the creature with a wand… the thing that stole Orca's soul… It appears. Aura is suddenly pinned to its wand, and she gazes at us with regretful, pleading eyes. Those eyes squeeze shut, and she screams in agony as the creature's claws pass straight through her from behind, grasping her soul. Both Kite and I start forward, shouting 'no', but we stop to avoid falling off into the sky._

_I am only able to tear my eyes away to glance at the Guardian, which again apologizes, then extends a tentacle, shooting it towards Kite._

"_No!" I cry, pushing him away, along the walkway, and stepping in front of the tentacle._

_It pierces my chest, though it leaves no wound. Icy hot pain washes through me, and I feel it begin to pull upon my soul…: ._

I awaken with a gasp, breathing heavily and staring with wide, frightened eyes at nothing in particular. It is only when my racing heart begins to slow a little that I become aware of Aura still using me as a chair/bed, and Kite watching me with an odd look upon his face.

"Dream again?" he asks, and I nod. "Well, it's over now, so Good Morning. The sun's just begun to climb up the horizon."

"You went outside again."

"No, but I did look out Faille's window in the kitchen."

"Ah. Have you slept at all?"

Kite shakes his head. "No. I haven't been sleepy. So, I've been watching over you two and thinking."

"About what?"

He sighs. "Many things."

* * *

( Kite's P.O.V. ) 

"Don't you forget me!" orders Aura as we all stand in Faille's yard, saying our good-byes.

It's only midmorning, but Faille rose early and we were able to talk it all out pretty quickly. Aura's hair is now short, falling into her eyes, but not much farther. And she's no longer wearing her dress and cloak, but a pair of rolled up trousers and somewhat loose tunic, cinched tightly around her skinny waist (or lack thereof). Tsukasa and I are wearing the same things we were before, except that Tsukasa and Faille sewed up the slashes here and there on both her robes and my own clothing. Both my pack and Tsukasa's satchel are stuffed with food and things Faille gave us, and we're both very grateful.

"How could you even _think_ that we would forget about you?" asks Tsukasa, mussing up Aura's hair.

Tsukasa speaks with a jovial tone, but I can hear the strain, and I can see the sadness in her eyes. Aura, too, tries to put on a brave face, but she's just as unhappy as Tsukasa, if not more so. The little girl sniffs, trying not to cry. With sudden oomph, Aura launches herself at Tsukasa, clinging tightly to the older girl. Tsukasa returns the embrace, hugging her sister just as tightly. The older girl bites her lip to hold back tears. Aura just cries into Tsukasa's robes.

With much snuffling on both their parts, the two separate after a few moments, and Aura turns to me. "You still have a dorky hat," she informs me before tackling me as well.

"I'm gonna miss you, kid," I murmur as she relinquishes her hold on me to run inside Faille's house.

"Don't worry," says Faille, glancing after the child. "I'll take good care of her, and I'll make sure Paeto doesn't go ratting on you or anything. He has a good heart really… It's just his wife died recently, so all he has left is his daughter Natsume, and, well, he worries so much about her. The reason you didn't see her is that she's been on duty guarding."

"Guarding?" I ask.

"From the fiends. Even though she's only a bit older than you two, Natsume's one of our better fighters, and… the wild monsters have been rather aggressive lately, so we need all the guards we can get. Everyone capable of guarding in this and a few other villages nearby takes shifts in manning the wall."

"Where's the wall? We're at the edge of the village, yet there is no wall that I can see."

"It goes around the fields where we keep grunties and where we grow crops. You'll come to one of the gates eventually."

"If we're going towards the mountains, which way ought we to go?" asks Tsukasa.

"That way." Faille points north. "Just follow the road north and you'll get to the north gate. They can tell you the best way to go from there…"

"Thank you, not only for this, but for all the kindness you've shown to us! And… we can't thank you enough for caring for Aura," Tsukasa stammers.

But, Faille waves it aside. "It's all right dears. Now, get going! You won't do anything just standing there!"

* * *

_Author Notes:_

Well.. that chapter turned out nothing like I planned, though it accomplished the same objectives. Oh well… Hmm… I don't like it terribly much because it feels like it's dragging… But, now that Tsukasa and Kite are 'on the road,' things ought to pick up.

Eh.. Sorry about the wait with this chapter. It's entirely F.F.'s fault, since they took down my songfic for Final Fantasy X… I swear that at the time I posted that there was no rule that said you couldn't have a song in your fiction that was not written by you! Plus I've seen a TON of other songfics around... It's not bloody fair! Gaaaah… So, although I've had this chapter done for several days, I haven't been able to post it. XP Same with System Error, which is why you are getting this, and the next chapter of that in the same day. Er.. Enjoy?

I hate the title for this chapter, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'm open. Oh well. Suggestions, period, are welcome! I might (and probably will) ignore them for a while, but I will probably use good ones later on. Heck, I will also probably use silly, stupid, annoying and down-right ridiculous ones at some point, too… so don't hesitate just because you think it's a bad idea.

Explanations and notes for this chapter:

Elk: Um… Niravelk is a name I spontaneously thought of! I somehow doubt that our idea of an elk would live in this world. So… his name has to be a shortening of his full name, rather than a nickname derived from an animal. And so, the other night found me sitting with the laptop on my lap, my mind coming up with random collections of syllables one might call names. And I happened to like Niravelk. O.o go figure. I hasten to say that, while his personality will be Elk-ish, he'll be rather different from the game. Any other information about him is strictly classified.

B.T. Don't you like my way of avoiding having to worry about BLTs in this world? XD Hehe… I've always pictured B.T. as a teacher sort of person, if this were a real world. Possible some influence from Tsukasa the Foaminian? -shrugs- But, yeah… She may or may not pop up in person. You'll just have to wait and see.

That really bad lullaby… was written by me. If you'd been in my room whilest I was writing it, you would have heard me singing random things… O.o And that's exactly how I wrote it… -sigh- I couldn't think of a real song that would fit, so I just made one up. It sucks, I know.. so don't rub it in. And I made it completely random on purpose. Because children's songs often are rather odd if you think about them.

The dream sequence of Tsukasa's is a dream sequence. Not a memory. It may or may not be prophetic in nature. –wink-

Teleportation: Umm… There are teleportation spells usable by wavemasters, and by anyone else if they know how to use a magic scroll.

Chaos Gates: They are existent in this world, but not like they are in the games or anime. You'll see what I mean later.

Fiends: Monsters. Whatever. They're what come out of magic portals, just not here. Well, I take that back. There will be monsters trapped in magic portals… Muahaha

The phases: You'll see.

Aura knowing random things; All will be explained eventually…

Book of Twilight: Those of you who've played the games already know (or think you know) what this'll do. And, yes, I already know what and how I'm going to work with the data draining and the bracelet and whatnot. You'll just have to wait and see…

Data draining:  Because this is not a digital world, it would be soul-stealing… sort of. Ehh. Again, you'll see. I know I've shown it so far as soul-stealing, but it's more/different than that. And so far, that's the only way Tsukasa and Kite know how to describe it… As for Kite having a bracelet... Welll... Wait and see.

Other characters: Other canon characters will pop up, both from the original four games and from SIGN. I haven't decided whether anyone (such as Kamui) from LotT will appear. Do note that if I do include LotT characters, they will be from the manga, not the anime. –hisses at the anime- It made Reki a back-stabber! Reki's awesome! How could they do that to that little history major who gets irked with, but still likes and remains loyal, to Balmung! Ahem. Sorry… No, I haven't seen the last episodes of the LotT anime. Just what's on the first two anime disks.

Oh, if anyone knows how the names of the spells in the games were determined, please tell me! Or at least tell me where I can find out. Yes, yes… I know _what_ the spells are, and I know what things like 'ap', 'dek', 'rom', and 'don' mean. It's where those words come from that I want to know…

Thanks for reading and reviewing (hint, hint, if you haven't don't so..)! I live off of reviews, and the fact that you guys take the time to not only read, but tell me your opinions means a lot to me. -blushes- it's great to get so many positive reviews…

To mah reviewers:

**Angelyoshi4444**: I like Yoshi a lot, too.. Why, I remember the first Mario game in which you could ride Yoshi. That was a fun game. Hehe… Elk is awesome. See above notes abot other .back characters.

**Twilight Memories: **Yuppers on Mia, Elk and Sora. Thanks for the words. I'm thinking I will use kuuki and kaze for what I have in mind.

**Wind Kaze: **-hugs- Your writing is awesome! I fully understand the business. Right now, I am basking in the luxury of not having to worry about school for a while yet. Oh? Use Mozilla Firefox! Much better browser than IE, I must say. I don't care for IE at all, although it has its uses, though they are practically nonexistent, and I much prefer Mozilla.

I'm glad you like this fic. Sora's your favorite character! –mock gasp- I never would have guessed. Hehe… Yay! I have permission to rampantly borrow ideas! Heh. Don't worry; I won't borrow many on purpose. As for the Bear idea… I have my own way of explaining the title of 'Bear' in this fic… So, I won't have to make him all furry.. XD

I didn't think the note was directed at me, but at people in general. And I'm a people. At least I think I am… -pokes self- Hmm… -shakes head- Oh well. Happy writing, reading, & whatever else!

**Shadow Rave : **Hehe.. Guess I'm quicker on the draw..er… write, then.. A cross-over? Well, I have been tempted to combine several of my favorite books and games and things… So maybe at some point in the future, you'll see a random humorous cross-over that includes Link in The World… XD Riding Epona, who's been turned into a Grunty… Oh, the things I could do… And he could stuff Navi in an orb and use her to locate portals… XD -ahem- Sorry. This update would have been sooner if not for.. uh.. F.F. administration removing my FFX story… -sigh- and me being blocked from uploading any new stuff for a while.

**Twilight**: O.O! What the? Egads, but that is one wall of text… X.x -sniffle- It's too much! No paragraphs! -cries- Fine… I'll do it your way. Anyway… Yes, I am happy that you reviewed! Oh, er… yeah… Balmung. I knew someone would be annoyed at me for my parentage choices… Hehe… I like how you phrased it: "him gettin' with Morganna" XD Umm… The whys and wherefores'll all be written up at a later point in time. Excellent! I've corrupted your view of the Azure Sky… As for him being Orca's partner… Well, yes and no. I'll explain it later. Like in the next few chapters later. Yes, Mia looks like Mia, but dresses like Maha. For the Japanese: Did I really write 'kamekazi'? Oy vey. Sorry. I could have sworn I wrote kamikaze. O.o Yes, yes.. I know that much about kami and kaze, and the rest of what you said just confuzzled me. A lot. O.o Where did the days of the week come in! See, I don't know too much Japanese; I can't even spell it in English. X.x Ohaiyo. Hehe… Well, I wasn't sure how to spell it, anyway. I know it's pronounced the same as the state. XD I _live_ in Ohio. Hehe.. And I tend not to be able to spell well in English, so it's no surprise that I mangle Japanese spellings when translated into English. Oh well. I am hurrying and updating. But I can't update until like midnight Wednesday, which means you won't get anything until Thursday. –sigh- Gack. System Error is addicting, eh? Well, sorry, but I don't think I'll be updating that one again soon. Rampant inspiration for this one… I've a lot of ideas and I really want to get them written up… Anyhoo, thankies for reading and reviewing yet another of my fics.


	5. Chapter IV: Grunties Are Scary

**Antilogy of the Crepuscule**

_By Sargent Snarky_

Disclaimer: I do not own the .hack franchise, though I wish I did. Unfortunately, wishes are neither horses, nor other concrete things… So I am neither a riding beggar nor the owner of .hack.

Disclaimer number two: I have borrowed some ideas from Wind Kaze's Paradise Sin, another story in which The World is a real place and not a game. I have Wind Kaze's permission, so… you can't flame me on that account! Buahahahah! -ahem- Go read it, though. It's awesome!

This chapter is dedicated to my beta Twilight… By request of Mistral. –wink-

**Chapter IV:**

** Grunties are Scary**

( Interlude )

A woman reclined upon a throne, each well suited for each other. The seat was cushioned and comfortable, yet its design was severe and dark, ominous almost, and it leant a degree of fearful awe to the one seated upon it. She was tall and thin, but not skinny by any means. No, her limbs were long and toned, flesh firm and yet supple, skin perfectly clear. Her body itself was almost perfectly proportioned, forming an hourglass with her thin waist and ample hips to match an ample bosom. And her dark green dress was sewn precisely to amplify such things. That in and of itself might have been enough to make some men stare with lusty eyes, but there was much more to her beauty.

She was well into her thirties, yet this woman had milky skin and a perfect complexion, and though her cheeks held no hint of a blush, her lips (while not full) were a deep blood red; these lips were well suited for scowling or for smiling, frowning with displeasure, or sneering with contempt. Above the lips, above a pointed nose, below her cascade of raven hair and above high cheekbones, her wide, slanted eyes stared through long lashes. The eyes themselves were silvery gray, sometimes sparkling with amusement, sometimes steely with cold fury.

At the moment, they were fixed upon a figure standing before her. The figure, wrapped in a heavy gray cloak, with hood pulled low over a hat, seemed unfrightened by the imposing, yet seductive one seated. This was surprising for the Queen Morganna was well-known for her ability to inspire terror in the hearts of many, and for her air of absolute control. That is… when she was on her throne. If one caught her curled up in a corner somewhere, reading or something, she seemed not so downright scary, but on that throne.

The cloaked figure genuflected, then stood stiff and straight, awaiting the Queen's command or comment.

And so, after a lengthy pause, Morganna asked, "You have found where they hid her, then?" The voice was cold and calculating, with a cruel streak and a taste for vengeance.

"Yes, Puppet-master," came the reply from the other, and it was feminine voice, though this one was quite blank, save for a touch of humor.

An arched eyebrow and an amused sneer, Morganna's eyes glinted with amusement. "Puppet-master? It has an interesting ring."

The one wrapped in her cloak shrugged. "It fits you quite well, m'lady."

"I suppose it does, at that," was the guiltless admission. "Ah well. Keep an eye upon the other two and make sure they don't break their strings, then."

"Yes, m'lady. Is there anywhere I ought to, hmm, direct them?"

"Indeed. That old abandoned cathedral."

"The one on the island?"

"Yes."

"Forgive me for asking, but why? Won't that leave the possibility that–" She fell silent upon a look from Morganna.

"It may, but I will not let them have that chance. However, it is far away from any villages, and the locals greatly fear that place. By sending them there, I can be assured of those two being alone. That way, it will be a simple matter to corner them in the cathedral – which has but one entrance."

"Ah. I see. Heh. You truly _are_ a puppet-master."

"We shall see."

"What of the child?"

"They are all children."

"Aura, I mean."

"Leave her there, for now. I very much doubt she will go anywhere soon. Besides, it is better to take her after the other two."

"May I ask why, m'lady?"

"Because as long as she think she is free, and they think she is free, they will hope."

The cloaked one tilted her head to the side curiously. "Why does it matter if they hope?"

"Because hope is the best spice to bring out despair. You ask too many questions. Now go."

The cloaked one seemed confused, and about to ask another question, but a soft sigh escaped her hidden lips and she replied, demurely, "Yes, m'lady."

The air around the cloaked one rippled, shimmered, and she vanished in the midst of a bow. A cruel peal of laughter echoed from Morganna's lips.

(Kite's P.O.V.)

"I swear, I have never seen so many grunties facing the same direction," mutters Tsukasa as she shifts her satchel so that its weight is born upon the other shoulder.

"I have. Once, in Dun Loireag," I answer. "There was a whole heard of them, mostly the mountain ones, but there were a few other breeds mixed in. Anyway, they were all facing in one direction."

"I've never been there, though. Mother never let me go with you and Lord Orca, and besides, she never went either," she answers, sighing as she reaches back, rubbing at a small lump between her shoulder blades.

I arch an eyebrow at her, because she's been picking at it for a while now, and I'm pretty sure it's gotten bigger. "Why do you keep scratching there? You're probably making whatever it is worse."

She stops, suddenly aware of what she's been doing, and frowns, shaking her head. "I'm… not sure. I can't help it. I thought it was a particularly bad bug bite to which I was allergic or something, but… Well, maybe it is, and I have been making it worse."

I shrug. "Whatever. Just stop scratching it. You're making me feel itchy." I smirk. "Hey, maybe you're becoming a hunch-back."

But, my attempt at humor is met with a level glare. So, I grin, and she rolls her eyes. A moment later, we are once again walking briskly along the trail to the gate. It's only been about ten minutes since we left Faille's house, but it seems longer. I think it's because of the grunties, personally. The way they are all staring off in one direction _is_ really freaky. Maybe they're all possessed or something. I say as much to Tsukasa and receive another rolling of the eyes, though she does laugh a little. At least she stops glaring. There's just something about girls; they're able to keep glaring at you for _hours_, making you feel absolutely, wretchedly guilty. Even Aura does it, sometimes.

Aura… I miss her already, and I know Tsukasa does, too. I can tell she's trying to keep her thoughts away from her sister, and at the moment she seems to be succeeding. We can see the gate and the wall ahead, but we're not quite sure the exact distance, since the path winds a bit. And the grunties keep staring… I shudder.

Suddenly, one grunty turns from his staring to look at us with a snort. Well, I think it's a he. I really don't care to check, though, so I'll have to go on assuming. It trots onto the path just in front of us and gazes with large, vacant eyes. We stop, staring back. This contest of not blinking goes on for several moments before Tsukasa winks at me with an evil grin.

"Oh dear. What are you going to do?" I ask.

She merely continues to grin, and before I can make another comment, she turns and jumps onto the grunty's back. It looks mildly surprised, but unperturbed.

"I'm going to make this creepy thing useful," she declares, then kicks it.

It lets out a grunt, then starts forward, trotting at a decent clip. It nearly runs me over.

"Hey! Come back!" I shout, running to catch up as they continue on.

Tsukasa waves to me, and I just know she's smirking. With an exasperated sigh, I sprint, and I actually gain on the grunty – thankfully it isn't going full speed. Seeing that I will not be left behind, Tsukasa gets the grunty to slow down. I catch up and hop on behind her. Then, she kicks it into a full gallop. The ride is wobbly and somewhat bouncy, so I'm forced to put my arms around Tsukasa's waist to avoid falling off backwards. She seems to be sitting in the only flat, stable part of the grunty's back.

This way, however, we cross the distance to the gate in no time. We dismount the grunty and it stands there, staring at us as we walk up to the gate, which happens to be closed. Two people are up on top of the walls, watching the road, and in the distance, others can be seen patrolling the wall, but there are a pair of white-robed wavemasters who look identical talking to the guard leaning against one of the gate posts.

Of the two on top of the wall on either side of the gate, one is a short, thin girl with a cheerful face and short green-blue hair. She wears blue clothing, and has two short blades sheathed at he sides. The other is also a female, though she's older. She wears light green robes and rests a rather plain staff with a green orb at one end across her shoulders, her arms looped around it to keep it there. Her light brown hair, though pulled back and tied.

The guard on the ground is pretty tall, with red brown hair, tan clothing, and he has a proper sword strapped across his back. And the two identical wavemasters with whom he's conversing must be twins. There's no other way to explain their identical hair colors, skin tones, heights and builds. The weird thing is, though, they're wearing the same outfit: A pair of white pantaloons, a white billowy top, a shawl with fringe, a yellow obi, white boots, and white hats with two points each, and a ribbon hanging from each point. Their shawls, pantaloons, sleeves, boots, and hat all have blue and/or yellow designs on them, and both carry straight wooden staves with a ring on top, crossed by a cross.

As we draw closer, the swordsman looks over the shoulders of the twins, and they turn to see the object of his gaze, which happens to be us. And the grunty, which stands behind us, staring.

"Oh, hello," says one of the twins, smiling brightly. Her voice is energetic and a little squeaky.

"Passing through, too?" asks the second twin. Her voice isn't identical to her sister's, but it's pretty close.

The swordsman frowns, and stands up from his leaning position. "More who want through the gate?"

"Hello," say I, smiling back at the twins. "Umm… Yes, we'd like to get through. We're on our way to the mountains. Could one of you possibly direct us along the best course?"

"Certainly," says the swordsman. "But it depends a little on which of the mountain chains you want to go."

"The one of Dun Loireag," answers Tsukasa. We'd decided to head there first, so we could resupply, rest and gather some information about the lore of local shrines and temples to the elements. In secluded places, like Dun Loireag, old stories like those tend to be remembered better. Anyway, that's the one place we know for sure has information about them.

"Ah. In that case, you want to follow the main road here until you reach a fork that divides north-east and north-west. Take the northeast road until you reach Cross-town, which is where a lot of roads from village clusters like this intersect. From there, they ought to be able to direct you the rest of the way."

"Thank you very much, sir," Tsukasa answers, bowing slightly.

I, too, bow and say, "Yes, that was most helpful."

One of the twins exclaims, "Hey! We're on our way to Cross-town, too. Mind if we join you for the duration of the journey?"

"Yes. It's a few days journey through a gloomy forest and some rather boring hills," says the other twin. "But the more the merrier, right? Besides, monsters tend not to attack large parties."

Tsukasa and I exchange a look. She shrugs.

"Why not?" I say.

"Great!" says the first twin. "I'm Mistral!"

"And I'm Mireille!"

"Pleased to meet you," I reply. "I'm Ki –"

I am cut off by Tsukasa elbowing me viciously. Without missing a beat, however, she continues, "I'm An. It's good to have company on the road."

What the heck? Oh… Yeah… We _are_ wanted, after all… so pseudonyms would definitely be a good idea. But where'd Tsukasa come up with the name An?

The swordsman, meanwhile, is looking at us with an intent gaze I'm not sure I like. But, after a moment, he notices me watching him watching us, and he flicks his eyes to the gate and then up to the pair on the wall next to it. "Hey! Natsume!" he calls.

The younger girl turns and looks down. "What'jya want, Mikau?"

"Open up the gate!"

"Right-o!"

The girl, Natsume, moves over to a crank and begins to turn it. She grunts a bit with the first effort, and, after squeaking on the part of a series of ropes and pulleys, the gates swing open and out. Natsume takes a step backwards from the crank, and suddenly, she looses her footing, crying out in alarm as she slips off of the wall, landing on the outside with a sickening crack and a groan.

The other woman on the wall cries out, "Natsume!" and the swordsman sprints through and around the gate. Tsukasa, the twins, and I follow close behind.

Natsume lies sprawled on the ground, one arm twisted in a rather unnatural position. Although she moans softly, she seems semi-conscious at best, and rather dazed. Mikau drops to one knee next to her, calling her name in an attempt to elicit a response.

Tsukasa glances at the twins, who are gawking in a horrified sort of way, rolls her eyes, then moves to crouch next to Natsume on her other side. The wavemaster holds her right hand to her own side and back, then closes her eyes. Something in her palm flickers, then her staff materializes in her hand, and she opens her eyes. The staff is a long pole with a large crook at one end, in which floats a red orb – the stone providing most of its magic. (Every proper wavemaster's staff has such a stone, though it isn't always an orb. On the twins' staves, it is set in the center of the cross.)

Tsukasa then says to Mikau, "Do you know how to set broken bones?"

He blinks at her in surprise, then nods, slowly.

"Then hurry up and set her arm. It's obviously broken. Her shoulder's dislocated, too, but it's the bone I'm more worried about."

He hesitates, then does as he is bid, carefully feeling Natsume's arm – luckily it's only broken in one place. She moans, and he winces a bit himself. However, he (as gently as possible) moves the bones back into their proper places. Once this is done, he holds the arm to prevent the bones from grinding against each other or moving out of place again.

"Good, thanks," says Tsukasa.

She holds her staff over Natsume so that the orb is hovering over the arm. Then, Tsukasa closes her eyes, focusing her energies, I think.

"Ol repth," she murmurs, opening her eyes halfway as the spell begins to work.

The orb on her staff glimmers white, briefly, and a gentle rainbow white glow encompasses Natsume's body; It doesn't obscure anything, save places where she's hurt. After a few moments, Tsukasa releases the spell, sitting back and breathing heavily. It only takes about a minute for her to catch her breath, though, and she gazes at Natsume, who blinks several times, then sits up slowly.

"Woah," the girl gasps, now examining her body. Some light bruising remains on her arm, and a few of the worse scratches on her legs aren't completely healed, but her bone is healed. She then looks at Tsukasa with awe and gratitude. "Thank you so much! I don't know how I can repay you!"

Tsukasa's lips curve into a half smile. "It's nothing, really," she says, using her staff to get to her feet, then dismissing it. It disappears, leaving but a mote of light in her hand for a moment, and one or two others that fade quickly. "It's what healing magic's for."

Mikau helps Natsume to her feet, but, after looking at the girl's arm, his eyes follow Tsukasa with renewed intensity, and a measure of respect. But, he says nothing. The woman on the wall calls down to us, however.

"Hey! Nice healing magic! Pretty good for a kid, I must say."

Tsukasa blushes a little.

"There has to be _something_ I can do," says Natsume.

A thoughtful look crosses Tsukasa's face. Then, she says, "Come over here."

Natsume, with a glance at Mikau, walks with Tsukasa several feet away. Tsukasa then whispers something into Natsume's ear.

"Oh?" says Natsume, a smile spreading across her lips. "…Sure! Don't worry!"

Tsukasa seems a little relieved about something and smile. "Excellent! Thank you very much, Natsume."

"Heh. It's only fair," the girl replies. "Good bye! May you both have a safe journey!" And then she trots back through the gates, following Mikau.

The twins, meanwhile, are still gaping a little. They then skip over to Tsukasa as she comes back over to me.

"Wow, I wish I could heal like that," says one… Mireille, I think. "I'm only good for burns and cuts and things."

"That's because you have no patience or concentration," says Mistral. "It takes focus to mend bones, and even more focus to heal multiple wounds at once."

"I do too have concentration!"

"Only on shiny objects."

"Not true! Besides, you are _far_ more distractible than I."

"Oh? Who was the one who fell out of a tree because her attention was caught by a pretty bird?"

"That was only once. Besides, I was _seven_. One tends to be forgetful at that age."

"You're _still_ forgetful."

"I am not!"

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"What are we arguing about again?"

Mirielle scowls, and smacks her sister lightly with her staff. Mistral bursts into giggles. Mirielle pouts. Tsukasa sighs. This sort of argument is reminding her of Aura, I bet. It certainly reminds me of the little girl.

I clear my throat. "Um… If we're going to get to Cross-town," I interrupt. "It might be a good idea if we get going…"

"Right!" says Mirielle.

"Let's go!" agrees Mistral. "Say, An… How'd you get your staff to appear and disappear like that?"

"Oh. That. It's a handy spell I found in a book somewhere, and through some luck and a bit of fiddling, I managed to enchant my staff with it."

And so we are off… with the three wavemasters discussing spells and things in which I have no interest whatsoever. Ah well…

(Another interlude)

"Do we really have to tail them? We _know_ they're going to Cross-town," whined Sora to Mia.

"Yes," replied Mia, rolling her eyes. "They may turn aside or something, and if we wait for them in Cross-town, we won't know if they randomly were to decide to go somewhere else. Besides, it's easier to find where someone is if you're following them than if you go to where you think they are going."

Sora sighed. "Whatever. I thought we were getting them to go to the temple thing, though?"

"The road to the 'haunted holy ground' starts in Cross-town," said Elk. "Why does your 'puppet-master' want us to get them there, though?"

Mia shrugged. "Easier to corner them, and there aren't any people around to interfere or be nosy."

"What about the little girl?" asked Sora. "Does she need watched?"

"No." Mia shook her head.

"Oh-kay," said Sora. His tone turned semi-sarcastic. "Well… I suppose I'll take the first leg of the journey. I could do with a refreshing walk for a change."

Elk laughed softly. "What, don't you like Mia's teleportation spells?"

"They're better than yours," replied Sora.

It was Mia's turn to chuckle.

"Don't make me warp you to a duck pond, again," said Elk with a mock indignant sniff.

Mia laughed a little louder. Sora sighed.

"Whatever. I'm off… Boing!"

* * *

Author's Corner: 

Well… There's another chapter for you! I think this one's a bit shorter than some of the others, but that seemed like a good place to end it.

For you System Error fans: I'm putting that on hold for a little while, I think.

Strangely, System Error seems to be, by far, my most popular story. O.o I totally did not expect that, I must say. I originally intended it just to be a hypothetical one-shot… Heh. Well, I suppose it's because it's original – Not only am I the first and only (so far) person to do a Kite-Tsukasa pairing, but I'm also the first and only (so far as I've seen) one to write up what might actually happen if a System Error occurred…

Anyway, the reason for the brief hiatus for SE is three-fold. First, due to various circumstances, I have to work in my dad's business (which is in a building behind our house. S'called 'Inpower'… We sell school bus flashers, throttle controls, and a wheel-chair lift control for busses, among other things… most of which my daddy's invented. –grin- Well, he didn't invent flashers, lift controls or throttle controls, per say, but he did create the stuff we sell, and improved them. So, y'all who ride school busses in America, there's a decent chance that your bus has flasher technology developed by my dad. O.o Sorry, but I do think that's pretty cool.) during the summer, doing things like boxing flashers… and throttles… and preparing things for shipment… And that all takes time, which means less for writing. Second, volleyball weightlifting has started, and soon (within the next month), open gym will start, too… and I'll be busy with that. Thirdly, I really want to work on this story for a while. Muahaha.. Yay for an overabundance of inspiration! That doesn't mean faster updates, necessarily, again due to circumstances… Just so you know. Oh, and I should probably start on my summer reading soon.. And in about two weeks Harry Potter Five will be out.. and of course I'll have to read that, then reread the other books, followed by reading that again… -shifty eyes-

Wow… I write a lot of useless stuff, don't I? Oh well..

About Antilogy:

The way I have it planned out in my head, this story will be pretty long, as I've said. Longer, in fact, that FoaSM. While I'm certain it will be over twenty chapters, probably closer to fifty, I don't know exactly how long, so don't ask.

To address confusion:

Please, if you are confused about anything whatsoever, don't hesitate to ask in your review, or drop me a line in email. (just put something in the subject to indicate your from I tend to delete email from people I don't know)

I know that, since this is The World turned into a real world, things are different, and therefore likely to cause confusion. Don't worry. A lot of stuff will be explained, eventually… I'm thinking that I'll eventually get around to writing a glossary of sorts… And either posting it somewhere and leaving the link here, or giving it its own chapter within the story…

Onto Reviewer Replies:

Reviewers! -squeals and glomps y'all-

**Angelyoshi**: Thanks. Yup. Natsume is Natsume.. err… -blink- Yes, Tsu & Kite will run into Mia, Elk, and Sora again.

**Twilight Memories:** -shrugs- Twilight (my beta) suggested I use 'On the road again…' But… I'm too lazy to go and change it to something like that or like yours yet. As for the spells, I have them all worked out… it's just I want to know where the terms vak, juk, ani, rai, rue, gan and repth come from. Not to mention where they got some of the summon names… Like Merrows, Lanceor, Wryneck, and Yarthkins. O.o I already know about the endings and modifiers, such as don (drop), rom (tornado), zot (columns), kruz (converge), ap (increase), and dek (decrease). Ah well… You know what don means… Do you know where it's from? As in what language and stuff?

I've never seen any ending to LotT 'cept the manga ending. –huggleglompsAura&Zefie- How does it end? What happens to Rena? O.o

**Shiner**: Thanks!

**Kitsunia**: It's all right. Hehe… I totally understand the evilness of computers and their spiteful ways of dying. Hope it gets fixed soon!


	6. Chapter V: Crosstown and a Creepy Church

**Antilogy of the Crepuscule**

_By Sargent Snarky_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the .hack franchise, though I wish I did. You see, if I did, then Haseo would wear pink bunny slippers. –wink-

**Disclaimer number two**: I have borrowed a few ideas from Wind Kaze's Paradise Sin, and I have Wind Kaze's permission – or, at least I did when I started this fic. You should go read it, though, and Kaze's other things and then nag Kaze into actually finishing them.

_Disclaimer Number Three_: **This Chapter Is Unfinished**. I found it when I was sorting through some old files of mine, and as I'm not certain I'll ever finish it, I figured I might as well post it, as well as the next chapter, which I did have finished. I really don't remember where I was going with this story, though, so please don't take this as a sign that I shall be continuing any time soon. I'm sorry!

**Chapter V****Cross-town and a Creepy Church**

( Kite's P.O.V.)

That evening, we all sit around a small fire, chatting amiably, trading jokes, and anecdotes. Well, the twins share anecdotes. For the most part, Tsukasa and I don't. We don't want to chance it. Still, we are able to provide a few entertaining stories that we easily alter for safe anonymity. Although they are inordinately hyper, slightly irritating, and a bit scary (because of the hyperactivity), I kind of like Mistral and Mirielle. It certainly isn't dull with them around. As we finish our meal (cooked by Mistral, and only a little burnt), we begin to make preparations for bed.

"You know," I say after a few moments in which we are all preoccupied with setting up whatever meager beddings we have. "There are a lot of fiends around these parts. Shouldn't we take turns keeping watch or something?"

"Hey! That's a good idea," says Mirielle.

"Who wants first watch?" asked Mistral.

"And how long will each shift be?" continued Mirielle.

"I'll take first shift," I say. "And every two hours or so we'll switch."

"I'll take last watch," says Tsukasa.

"Whichever one of us you wake will take second, and then the other third, then." Mistral nods, satisfied.

Mirielle, too, nods, then plops down upon her sleeping roll, pulling a cloak over her robes for extra warmth. It does get pretty cold at night sometimes, so I suppose it's better to be prepared. Mistral, too, shortly follows suit. Tsukasa, however, watches until they are asleep, then comes over to the stump on which I'm seated, listening more than watching. (The firelight makes it hard to see anything behind our small camp.)

Tsukasa looks unhappy, so I ask, "What's the matter?"

She arches an eyebrow at me as though the answer is the most obvious thing in a world. After a moment's thought, though it occurs to me.

"Oh. You miss Aura already?"

"Of course," she replies morosely.

"Look, don't worry! She'll be fine. She's a good girl and a hardy girl, and I'm sure that can take care of herself masquerading as a boy."

My friend nods, but doesn't look satisfied. "I can't help it. She's been my little sister for over half my life… And she's almost always been tagging along with us… It just feels so weird not to have her here."

"I agree with you there, but just think about other things," I say.

"Easy for you to say," she retorts with a soft snort of derision.

"'Easy for you to say'," I mimic, pitching my voice a bit higher. She hits me, and I smirk. "What? I didn't do anything…"

Tsukasa rolls her eyes. "I'm going to sleep. Have fun watching alone."

And with that, she moves over to her own sleeping roll and lies down. Within a few minutes, she's asleep, I think. I, however, get up and pace around our small camp. It's not that I'm tired, but I'd rather not be stiff from sitting in one position.

(Interlude Time)

A pair of cold gleaming eyes watched the boy wander around the small camp. They watched him for the full two hours as he kept his vigil. Then, the eyes turned to the first of the twins as she was awakened and took her place watching. The eyes saw that she was still somewhat bleary from sleep, and the owner of the eyes considered whether it would be an opportune time to feast. The eyes flicked over to the boy. He was lying down, but not asleep. An hour later, the boy was drifting off, but was not yet truly asleep. The owner of the eyes did not mind. No, it was a patient beast.

Another hour, then the change of watch between sisters. The boy was asleep now, but his sleep was uneasy. That much the creature could tell by the way the boy shifted. The girl who was not a twin, too, slept uneasily. The beast wondered why, but spared little thought on the subject; it didn't matter. This second twin was as sleepy as her sister before, but seemed more alert.

Still, now _was_ a good time to attack, but would the creature manage? If it was careful, if it was swift, and if it was deadly, then yes. If it failed on any of these points, chances were that it would not survive this encounter unscathed, much less alive. Still… Now was a good time to attack…

However, something else beat the creature to the punch, as it were. Well, several somethings. A band of goblins, some wearing armor, others merely swords. But, however their appearance was, a dozen goblins suddenly popped out of no where, pouncing upon the small party with gobs of, well, goblin gobbing.

The creature made its own equivalent of a sigh and watched. The girl on watch cried out in alarm and snapped back to wakefulness in an instant. The others woke up, the boy and the not-twin girl sitting bolt upright, while the twin opened her eyes, blinking blearily for a moment before she comprehended the situation. The boy had his blades out in a flash and was making mincemeat of the three goblins who had been about to pounce on him. The not-twin girl had summoned her staff and swung it at the nearest goblin, delivering a relatively heavy blow. Meanwhile, the twins stood back to back and alternated between small fireballs, and swinging their staves.

It wasn't long before those goblins who weren't dead were running away, snarling and cursing in their own gobliny gobbing way. The four companions didn't chase them, but moved the dead goblins into a pile, which one of the girls incinerated. And the creature decided to forgo its attempt at a meal upon the travelers. Now that they were awake and alert, an attack by this lone Squilla Demon would have been foolhardy to say the least. And Squilla Demons were not known for being stupid. Ergo, several of the fleeing goblins didn't make it very far…

However, in a spot not far from where the Squilla Demon had been lurking, a green-haired boy grinned, his crimson eyes gleaming. "Stupid Goblins," he muttered to himself. "They never think, do they? Ah well… better go find Elk, and let him have the rest of the journey." Boing!

( Kite's P.O.V.)

"Well… Just a couple more hours, and we should be at Crosstown," says Mistral, brightly, as we clean up and get up from the hill under a tree next to the road where we've just finished our lunch.

"We made very good time," says Mireille, also brightly.

"Yeah, especially considering those goblins that attacked us last night."

"This morning, you mean. And on my watch, too…" Mireille sighs.

"I bet you were asleep when they were approaching," says Mistral.

"Oh? Like you weren't falling asleep yourself when you woke me up! But, I wasn't, I swear!"

"Then why didn't you hear the goblins before they attacked us? They aren't exactly stealthy creatures, you know."

"Actually," interjects Kite at this point as we start along the road once more. "Depending on which goblin clan it is, they can be very stealthy, wandering into villages and pilfering lots of stuff without being noticed late at night."

"Really? I always thought they were noisy and stupid," replies Mistral, frowning.

"Nope," I say. "There are some very fast ones who are also good warriors, and some rather good goblin mages, too. It really is a good thing that this clan was among the slower and stupider ones, or else we might have been in real trouble."

"Say," says Kite, suddenly. "Did any of you, in your watches, notice anything stirring in the bushes, or anything like that?"

"Like someone or something was spying on us?" I ask.

"Yeah," he says.

"I didn't," pipes Mireille. "Just the goblins."

"I sort of did," states Mistral. "But I thought I was imagining it. Or going paranoid. Hehe!"

"I did, too," I add. "About the paranoia thing. I did think I saw a shadow flitting low to the ground, but when I looked harder, I didn't see anything at all. And it did feel like there was _something_ watching us."

"Wild critters perhaps?" asks Mireille. "There are some nocturnal birds and things around here who are very stealthy."

Kite frowns. "I don't think so. Not if we all felt that way… I swore I saw a figure – like a person, not a monster or an owl or something – perched in one of the distant trees for a while, but… after a time, it just melted away, or that's what it seemed like. Plus, I saw a little movement off in the bushes, but that's more likely to be just a creature."

"So? Maybe it was just another traveler who saw our fire and wondered whether to approach," offers Mistral.

Somehow, I doubt that. I wonder if whomever Kite met the night before last followed us? I glance at him, and he looks like he's reached the same conclusion. But, we bother know better than to divulge such suspicions to Mistral and Mireille. So, Kite shrugs.

"Maybe whomever it was thought we looked too scary!" suggests Mireille.

"Or, maybe they were scared off by how ugly you were," replies Mistral, flatly.

Mireille laughs and says, "Ah, but you're insulting yourself, as well, for we are but identical twins, my dear sister."

"You dare claim to share _my_ exquisite looks?" demands Mistral, in her best mock-arrogant tone.

Mireille demonstrates her mastery of the art known as 'eye-rolling.' Kite and I exchanged an amused glance. Really, for all of their scatterbrained-ness, those two do provide road-side entertainment rather well. But, they continue with their bickering, with Kite or I occasionally adding in our own comments, questions, taunts, etc. And so, the afternoon whiles away quite pleasantly.

It is early evening when we at last come around a hill and come within sight of Crosstown. It is a small city, especially when compared with a metropolis like Carmina Gadelica or Mac Anu. Even Lia Fail is larger, I think.

_Summary of how the rest of the chapter probably would have gone:_

They would've spent a day or three in Crosstown. The twins would've disappeared for a while, and Kite would've run into Blackrose, who would shanghai both he and Tsukasa into going with her to the Cathedral. So, thither they go… which is where the next chapter picks up...


	7. Chapter VI: Revelations

**Antilogy of the Crepuscule**

_By Sargent Snarky_

Disclaimer: I do not own the .hack franchise, though I wish I did. You see, if I did, then Haseo would wear pink bunny slippers. –wink-

Disclaimer number two: I have borrowed a few ideas from Wind Kaze's Paradise Sin, and I have Wind Kaze's permission – or, at least I did when I started this fic. You should go read it, though, and Kaze's other things and then nag Kaze into actually finishing them.

Disclaimer Number Three: Ok, so this chapter _is_ finished, BUT like with the last one, please don't take it as a sign that I'm continuing. I found this along with that last when sorting through old documents of mine, and, well… I thought I might as well post it, in case anyone was still curious. Yeah. I'm sorry.

**Chapter VI ** **Revelations**

(Tsukasa's P.O.V.)

The three of us, Kite, Blackrose and myself, are all hesitant to open the stone doors of the massive temple. The stones are all cold, and the cathedral itself seems cold and foreboding. I have a bad feeling about this. Kite and Blackrose seem to share my sentiments. However, Blackrose scowls, suddenly, drawing herself up and stalking up to door. She pushes forward hard, then stumbles, as it swings open silently and easily. I can't help but shudder once before following her and Kite into the building.

Inside, the ceiling is high and vaulted, with ornate stonework. The room has two rows of stone pews with a central aisle. At the far end of the passage, upon a raised platform, sits a marble altar. The floor, too, is marble, polished and somewhat reflective. It's nearly impossible to walk quietly on it, since the entire room has interesting acoustics, picking up and rebounding the slightest sounds. For example, though Kite and I attempt to tread lightly, our steps still echo upon the cold floor.

"You know," murmurs Kite, relaxing a bit. "This place feels… familiar… more like home than any place in Mac Anu or Carmina Gadelica, and yet…" He trails off with a frown.

All three of us freeze as a clicking not made by us reaches our ears. A moment later, it stops, then, with a few snarls, three goblins scamper out from beneath the pews, two holding goblin blades, the third wielding naught but his claws. Blackrose yelps, struggling in her attempts to unhook her large blade. How she can even lift that thing, I do not know… Anyway, Kite draws his blades in a flash and dispatches the first with pathetic ease. I deal with the second, summoning my staff into my hands even as I move to bash its skull. It falls. Then, both of us move to the third, who moves towards Blackrose, and we happen to reach it at the same time. I smack it with my staff, then dismiss said stave as Kite finishes the job.

Blackrose calms down, looking somewhat embarrassed. But, her tough façade returns a moment later as Kite and I chuckle softly.

"Say, what should we do with the bodies?" I ask.

"Umm… Burn them? The ashes would be easier to deal with," says Kite.

So, we pile them together, and I stand before it, arm extended, palm outward. "Vak Don."

A small fireball materialized, flying into the goblins, immediately incinerating them. It is a matter of minutes before they are reduced to ashes. I grin.

"Fire spells are fun…"

Blackrose gives me a strange look, and Kite rolls his eyes.

At an unspoken agreement, we all walk down the center aisle together. Despite the triumph over the goblins, this place still gives me the creeps. There's just something… wrong. Something lurks in the shadows, watching… And it's not something friendly. I hope what Mia said is true… That we may find a few clues here…

Reaching the altar, we all stare at the engravings. It takes a moment or two, but I suddenly realize that words are carved in, too… But I only vaguely recognize the text. I certainly can't read it. I think it's a form of the umbrian writing, though I can't be sure. A lot of it is too obscured to be read.

Kite reads what is legible aloud, "Skeith, Innis, Magus, Fid… something. I can't read the rest. It's illegible."

"How're are you able to read that?" I ask, surprised.

Kite shrugs. "I honestly don't know."

He pauses, suddenly, tilting his head as if hearing some distant voice. He frowns, then shakes his head, eyes distant as he thinks.

I frown in puzzlement.

Blackrose, meanwhile, stares about in fearful wonder. "So… this is where Kazu…" she murmurs. I can't hear the rest due to a sudden new noise, a new pair of footsteps running in and up the corridor.

We turn to look, but the one we see is certainly the least expected. We all can't help but stare. An avarian with white hair, dressed like a knight, a sword girt at his side, and the pinions of his large white wings fluttering as he runs. Seeing those wings makes my back itch, for some reason. Weird…

Anyway, he seems familiar; I'm sure I've seen him once or twice before… Visiting Carmina Gadelica or Mac Anu on diplomatic business…

"You must leave!" He calls out, voice booming through the room, urgent. "Now! It's too dangerous here!"

Lord Balmung!! That's who he is, but what is he doing here…? A sudden dread fills me. He might recognize Kite and I for who we are… might believe that we ought to be turned in. Needless to say, we don't move, but stare at him.

Blackrose doesn't seem to recognize him, though Kite does. She frowns and ask, voice quavering with worry, "What? Why?"

But the question is answered for Lord Balmung. A fiend suddenly leaps down from some hidden alcove, landing directly between Lord Balmung and ourselves. He skids to a stop, drawing his blade. The creature is certainly strange… I've never head of or seen anything like this before. It looks like an ordinary headhunter, wielding a strange blade it must have picked off a warrior or something, except that it isn't carrying a 'head' and there's just something… wrong about it. A strange sickly green glow skitters across its skin, and it has an air of great, unnatural power.

"That's the monster that," Blackrose shrieks, but she doesn't finish her sentence.

"Go!" commands Lord Balmung again, but we again don't obey.

He draws his sword and leaps high, diving down at the creature to deal what should have been a death blow, then landing in a slight skid before us, wings flaring a little for balance. The creature staggers a little, but it pays no mind to the deep slash, merely turning to advance upon us.

"Damn it," breathes Balmung. "Here, too…" Then, he leaps at it again, sparring with it in an attempt to bring it down. He seems to be completely oblivious to us.

I glance at Blackrose, who holds her sword in shaking hands. She quivers with fear, though she steps forward, advancing upon the creature as well. I then turn my eyes to Kite. His eyes are distant again, and he seems to be listening to something. Then, he nods once, and slings his pack off of his shoulders. Opening it, he pulls out the Book of the Twilight. He barely opens the cover when the book jerks open, flipping through the pages, propelled by some other force. Kite cries out softly in alarm as it jerks out of his hands a few feet from him. Then, from the pages spills forth a strange half-light that is quite bright. I say half-light because it isn't quite like normal light.

"Kite!" I shout as the light envelops him, masking him from view.

The book fades into the light and vanishes, but the light remains wrapped around Kite, shifting. I her him cry out in either pain or unpleasant, strange surprise. I can feel something within him… changing. Well, no… not changing, so much, as unlocking… springing to fruition. Something in side of him that was asleep now awakening, and altering him, infusing new and greater power, yet leaving him unchanged. Then the growth or changing slows and comes to a stop… And the light dissipates leaving a very different Kite, at least in appearance. What the hell has the book done to him..?! Apparently Kite doesn't know, either, based upon the confusion and fear swirling in his eyes.

His clothing is the same, and yet different; it's changed colors. What was once green is now crimson. His hat, vest thing, and pants… All now red with strange twisting designs in yellow upon the pants. Also, two tattoos appear upon his cheeks – a triangle and an outline, both red as blood, like his clothing. However, those're the least of the changes. A shadowiness clings to him, not physically, so much, as, well, in his aura. It's not an evil shadow, but just darkness, as in lack of light. A pair of large black wings, the webbed sort like those of a dragon, stretch forth from his back, seeming at once insubstantial, as if made only of shadows, but at the same time completely real and fully present. But, strangest of all, encircling his right wrist is a glowing bracelet of strange fashion. It is a bracelet of light of varying assorted hues. But the light is contained within scales, of a sort, forming a ring floating about Kite's wrist.

Suddenly, the darkness clinging to him magnifies greatly, and the bracelet jerks Kite's arm forward. He winces and yelps in pain. His left arm he holds protectively in front of his face, as if shading his eyes from the bracelet's light, or something. He cries out again as the bracelet expands, new, longer scales appearing to form a large wheel of sorts. Kite shudders, and tendrils of different colored lights shoot forth from the tips of the long scales, twisting through the air before converging upon the headless creature.

The monster emits a scream of agony as the beams impale it, fishing around inside of it… for its soul. A cold dread settles in my stomach as I realize what is going on, and my eyes widen in horror. Blackrose, too, stares, equal horror overcoming her. She, Balmung, Kite and I shiver to hear the creature's bloodcurdling wail.

And then, the tentacles of light retract, pulling a misty form with them… Pulling the souls, such as the monster has (which isn't the same sort of soul, say, Blackrose has) and whatever's riding on the soul A weird greenness clings to the misty form, making it appear sickly and diseased, much as the body was. Not is, for the monster seems almost normal, now. Meanwhile, the soul is surrounded by a combination of light and darkness… where it is changed. The bracelet vanishes, leaving a smooth crystal in Kite's hand.

As the bracelet of light fades, the darkness clinging to Kite diminishes, but doesn't completely vanish. I can still feel it there, along with a bit of the light of the bracelet. A bit of the wings remain, albeit only a bit. Kite sways upon his feet – his face is quite pale, his breathing labored and his eyes bleary. And then, as he collapses to his hands and knees (he's conscious enough to keep himself from sprawling upon the floor), the last vestiges of the wings fade from view. He seems utterly drained and quite likely to pass out.

Meanwhile, the monster staggers about a bit, confused and much weaker than before. Lord Balmung leaps at it, easily dispatching it this time. Before turning his attentions to us, he pulls out a pendant thing and touches the creature with it. And the monster vanishes, though where it goes, I have no idea. In fact, I only notice this out of the corner of my eyes, since I've run over to Kite's side, kneeling next to him concertedly.

"Kite? Are you all right?" I ask. "Wh… How did you do that? What _was_ that?"

He stares at me with wide, frightened eyes and shakes his head. "I…" he begins, but is cut off by Blackrose and Balmung, who speak at about the same time.

Blackrose stutters, "A s-soul reaver! B-but you're all supposed to b-be dead!"

"Never did I expect to find the ones responsible so soon!" Balmung says, voice anything but friendly.

Blackrose looks from Balmung, to Kite and I, to where the monster was, utterly confused. Kite and I look up at Balmung, unsure ourselves quite what was going on.

Pointing his sword at us, Lord Balmung glares. "You who as good as murdered Orca! Draw! Draw your sword, now! Summon your staff, wavemaster!"

Oh joy. He _does_ know us. I can see faint recognition in his eyes along with a burning anger and grief and disbelief. And what Kite just did only seems to prove to him that we did what Morganna says we did. Or at least that we were the ones to harm Lord Orca.

Kite tries to stagger to his feet, and manages, with my help. "No," he says; his voice is tired, yet firm. "There's no reason to do that."

"There is for me. But if you won't fight me, I'll kill you for it nonetheless."

Kite shakes his head slightly as he leans against me. He is still shivering. However, he manages, after a moment, to stand on his own. The itching and aching of the lump on my back chooses to increase almost unbearably, but I ignore it, even though it's bordering on out and out pain.

Blackrose, meanwhile, stomps forward, glaring at Lord Balmung. One hand upon her hips, stance wide, and a finger jabbed at him, she snaps, "He just saved your life, you know! And this is how you treat him?!"

Lord Balmung hesitates, weighing choices. On the one hand, avenging Lord Orca (though why, I don't really know) and stopping the supposed culprit. On the other hand, repaying the debt of his life. His expression hardens. Apparently he's decided on the former.

Completely ignoring Blackrose, Lord Balmung leaps forward, blade aimed to impale Kite. And yet, Kite does nothing. Whether he's too weak, or whether he believes that Balmung won't actually strike an unresisting opponent, I do not know. However, I'd rather not leave things up to chance, so I leap in front of my friend, staff in hand, and Lord Balmung's sword connects heavily with my staff, jarring my arms; it nearly causes me to drop my staff or at least fall.

At the same time, both Blackrose and I shout, "No!"

Balmung seems slightly surprised at my jumping forth, and he relents, frowning curiously.

I glare at him. I don't care if he's supposedly my father or not. So, in a rather pissed off tone, with my voice cracking a little as I go on, I cry, "Now, I don't know why the hell you feel the need to avenge Lord Orca, but first of all you're taking out your wrath on the wrong people! We may have been with him when… this freaky creature stole his soul, but we were not the ones who did so! Anyway, why would Kite attack the man who essentially raised him?! Damn it, he was the closest thing to a proper father either Kite or I or even Aura had! Do you honestly think we'd do something so awful as that?! If so, you really are a bird-brain!

"Besides, how can you strike with any honor at one who is obviously on the verge of collapse, not to mention refuses to even lift a blade in defense! That sure isn't fitting behavior for the commander of the Knights of the Avaria!"

He stares at me with a peculiar expression beneath his chagrin. He murmurs, almost inaudibly, "Sounds like something he might have said…" Then, gruffly and louder, he states, "Very well, then," and sheaths his sword, turning to leave.

"What the hell?" yells Blackrose. "That's it? You just leave? You don't even explain anything? No apology? And I thought the Avaria were supposed to be polite and chivalrous. You sure don't act like it."

I just blink at him in confusion. That gaze of his… It was so strange, at once bitter and resentful, yet sad and pitying. A queer regret and pain was there, too. But, as he glances back over his shoulder, whatever that look was is gone, replaced by cold indifference.

"What would you know of my people?" asks Balmung, tone scathing.

Blackrose blinks at him in disbelief, then her glare returns. "Enough! But, you sure are setting a crummy example!"

"And you set a rather impudent example for the Archipelago, girl."

"Thank you," she says, grinning slightly. "But you really, really ought to explain why the hell you want to kill him!"

I, meanwhile, turn back to Kite. He seems to no longer be paying attention to the world around him, but stares at his wrist and at the crystalline rock containing the monster's soul. His cerulean eyes are filled with horror and confusion, and his face is still unnaturally pale and drawn. Then, his eyes slip to his altered clothing.

"Red," he whispers. "Red as blood. Yellow like fire… tracing the ancient symbols… Why…? I should know, but I don't… I can't… remember…"

"Kite," I say, and he slowly looks up. "What happened?"

"I don't know," he croaks. "Somehow, I know I _should_ know… I should understand what… what happened, but I don't…"

"What do you mean?"

"It's something I cannot quite remember… Something someone told me about once… But… It's like it's been blocked off…"

"Memories from before I found you?"

He frowns. "Maybe…" A shudder passes down his spine and he glances warily around the building. "Please," he murmurs. "Please, let's leave here… The voices… I don't want to hear them!"

Has Kite suddenly become schizophrenic? Or are the really things here speaking…? Either way, I nod. "Come on, then. Can you walk?"

He takes a shaky step, then almost collapses again, but I catch him. "Guess not, then," he says, grinning weakly.

I roll my eyes and help him begin to stagger down the aisle. Blackrose and Balmung are wrapped up in an argument, so they don't notice right away. But, then they do.

"Hey!" cries Blackrose. "You _aren't_ leaving me behind this creepy place!"

"We aren't," I say. "We're just going outside. Besides, I'm not very good at paddling a boat, remember, and somehow I don't think that Kite's up to keeping his balance, much less lifting a paddle."

It suddenly occurs to me that we've forgotten to use our pseudonyms while in the cathedral. Oh well. Too late to keep Blackrose from suspicion anyway. Meanwhile, Balmung says nothing, but his expression is thoughtful. Blackrose shoots a final glare at him, then comes over to us.

"Fine. I'm coming, too, then." She stands on the other side of Kite and grabs his arm, looping it over her shoulders, much like I have his other arm looped over mine. Kite murmurs a thank you.

And then, we begin to stagger out. Lord Balmung continues to watch us. It's a little unnerving the way he stares. I can feel his eyes boring into our backs. Speaking of backs, mine is still itching and aching mercilessly. But, I keep on ignoring it. Soon, we're outside, and we stumble over to a corner protected from the wind. There, though Blackrose remains standing, Kite and I sit down.

While she leans against the wall, frowning as if a certain though has suddenly occurred to her and she must ponder it, Kite leans partially against the stone, partially against me. He closes his eyes, leaning his head against my shoulder. S'not like I mind. After all, Aura's used me as a pillow on numerous occasions. Rather odd, though, why anyone would use me as a pillow. In my opinion, (and others), I'm rather on the bony side. Oh well.

After a few minutes, he's asleep, as heard by slow and steady breathing. Oh, and suddenly the weight against my size increases. Funny how people always seem to get heavier when they're asleep.

(A brief Interlude, starting at about this same time)

Balmung watched Tsukasa and Blackrose all but carry Kite from the cathedral. His lips were twisted into a displeased frown, his eyes narrowed. However, he restrained himself and let them leave. After they disappeared out the doorway, the Avarian waited another few moments, then began to make his way towards the door, too. However, a soft, taunting voice echoed from the front of the cathedral, from a figure leaning against the altar. Balmung spun to face her, glaring.

"Quite a tantrum," remarked a tall, voluptuous woman robed in white, with an odd hat that covered her eyes; blond hair spilled from beneath the hat, framing her pale-skinned face and smiling black-painted lips In one hand she bore a silver scepter of sorts - it was a strange item, indeed, with three prongs arranged in a triangle at one end, and three glowing hoops floating around the other. It had no actual stone like a normal wavemaster's staff, but one could just tell that it was a powerful implament. "How very childish of Lord Balmung, descendent of Fianna."

"Helba," hissed Balmung under his breath. Aloud, he snapped, arrogantly, "I do not speak with traitors."

The woman, Helba, laughed softly and dissappeared, only to reappear right in front of him. "Oh really? Then how could you ever stomach talking with Morganna? I am no traitor, and my people have upheld _our_ part of the treaty."

"Then explain why a soul reaver was here."

"There have always been those with the _capabilities. _The boy was one of the few left. What you witnessed was the unlocking of that power."

"That explains nothing."

Helba tilted her head to the side, smiling. "Doesn't it? This place was built by my people in ages long ago... It holds many secrets."

Balmung pushed past her, moving swiftly for the exit.

"Don't forget your place," came her voice behind him, tone no longer gently toying, but firm and cold, "Balmung of the Azure Sky. And don't forget that you _do_ have allies. It would be wise not to anger them."

(Tsukasa's P.O.V)

I look up at Blackrose.

"What did you want to come here for, anyway?" I ask. She never _did_ say her reasons.

"Huh?" She snaps out of her thoughts. "Oh. Mm… I'm looking for my brother. Kazu. He was traveling with a small group of people, and apparently they came here… When they did, that monster attacked and… Something happened. No one's quite sure what, but Kazu went missing. I… thought maybe there might be some clue there…"

I nod.

"Why did you guys want to come here?" she asks.

I sigh and shrug. "We're… looking for something," I say, being deliberately vague. "And a… friend suggested we come here. She said we might find some hint here. But that isn't true… It seems we've found only more questions…"

"Same. Say, you know that guy we met. Who is he?"

"Mm.. He's Lord Balmung of the Azure Sky – also known as the Knights of the Avaria – Descendent of Fianna of the Avaria," I answer with a sigh.

Blackrose whistles. "Quite a title there. So.. he's the leader of the Knights?"

I nod again.

"Wow. What the hell is he doing here all alone, then?"

"That's my own business," states he, and both of us start.

"What the- Eavesdropping is very rude!" snaps Blackrose, a bit flustered.

I just glare at him while absently rubbing at the lump between my shoulders. Is it just my imagination, or has it grown larger than it was a few days ago? He arches an eyebrow at Blackrose.

"And you aren't?"

"You're worse."

He rolls his eyes, as if wondering why he even engaged in this conversation to begin with. If I was in a better mood, perhaps I might laugh at the absurdity.

Suddenly, Balmung turns his attention to me. "Did you know he's a soul reaver?" he asks, fiercely, accusingly.

I shrink back a little and blink. "N-no. But… What's a soul reaver?"

"One of the Umbria," Blackrose explains. "Supposedly only the Umbria have ever been able to do… stuff like that. I heard a rumor somewhere that umbria built this temple. Anyway, according to the old stories and things, soul reavers are swathed in darkness, but wield light."

"Correct," said Lord Balmung.

I frown. "Aren't they all supposed to be dead?"

"Yeah," agrees Blackrose.

Balmung laughs softly, mirthlessly, and we stare at him. "They're supposed to be, but they aren't. They live in secret, and few know about them. Although, I'm surprised that you are one of those who doesn't…"

I look down at Kite, who is lost in a deep sleep, then back up at Balmung. "I… What are you talking about?"

"Because your mother happens to be half umbrian."

I just stare at him. "And you would know this… how?"

A somewhat cynical look crosses his face. "Political treaties. Your grandfather, as part of his effort towards peace with the umbria, married one of their own."

I blink, frowning in thought and gazing down at the ground, contemplating my heritage. Man, is it screwed up. Blackrose blinks.

"Huh?" she asks. "How do you know her mother? Who is she?"

A grim and bitter smile twists Balmung's face. "Because… Once I was in love with the Lady Morganna… Conniving depraved bitch that she is, with not a drop of selflessness in her."

I look up at him swiftly, narrowing my eyes a little. "Don't talk about my mother like that!" I snap, even though I know every word he said is true. But, still, a part of me remembers her as she was when I was little. She was different then… or was she? It suddenly occurs to me that maybe, just maybe I didn't begin see her true nature until I was about five or six… But still…

Blackrose stares at me. "You're _her_ daughter?!" She gasps.

Balmung, on the other hand, glares fiercely at me, hissing, "I have every right to talk about her however I feel like. Besides, what I said is true, and you know it."

I don't meet his gaze anymore, instead suddenly finding a particular brick extremely fascinating. Though, I do murmur, "Whatever. At least I didn't sleep with her."

Blackrose doesn't hear that, but Lord Balmung does, and, while Blackrose just stares between us with confusion, Balmung lets out a low hiss, and I wince as I feel an even more burning glare. He seems to hesitate, as if deciding what to say. Suddenly, however, cynical laughter escapes his lips.

"Ah.. She would twist things like that, wouldn't she? Of course. And she simply had to choose _that_ rumor…"

Blackrose breaks in again. "What the hell are you two talking about now?"

We ignore her. I glance at Balmung, though it's merely a short glance. He happens to be staring off at the distance.

"I was never her lover, though she enjoyed toying with me, I must say," he says after a few moments. "No… That was my cousin. Lord Orca."

My eyes widen in shock. "Wh- what?!"

"You heard me." He sighs, and I heard his footsteps across the stones.

I shake my head in disbelief. "No. That's not true. It can't be…"

The footsteps stop. "It is, girl. Go ask your mother. I'm sure she'll be positively _thrilled_ to tell you all about it." And then they pick up again. Over his shoulder he calls, "And stop scratching at your back. The less you pick, the less it'll hurt when your wings sprout."

"But Lord Orca.. he… huh? Wings…?"

A soft, bitter laugh escapes his lips. "He _is_ my first cousin, after all. The only other remaining Descendant of Fianna. He lost his wings a few months before you were born. Torn to pieces by that Spectrum Dragon."

Blackrose is as dumbfounded as I, staring between Lord Balmung and myself with extremely wide eyes. I wasn't aware anyone's eyes could open quite that widely. Kite, of course, is completely oblivious to this whole affair, sleeping peacefully on. Oh, I envy him at this moment. I, however, can do nothing but stare off into space, trying frantically to come up with some reason why what Lord Balmung said couldn't be true. And yet… Somehow it fits. I can think of nothing to refute his claims. I knew Lord Orca was at least partially Avaria; he had told Kite and I that he had been born in Fort Ouph, but we assumed that he just was born without wings and that was why he lived among regular humans, not to mention why he wouldn't tell us much about his childhood or family. We ignored the nasty scars upon his back (not putting two and two together), and we just assumed he was bitter about being different from those among whom he was born, for he did seem rather bitter at times… But, this explains it all perfectly, though I refuse to accept it. That would be… I don't know. In my heart I know it's true, but I just can't bring myself to acknowledge it.

I shift, carefully lifting Kite off of me and lowering him to the ground, then stand up, glancing over at where Balmung should be standing. But he isn't. He's flown off. I see a spec in the distance and assume that's him.

"Where're you going?" asks Blackrose, faintly.

"Anywhere," I mumble, turning and stalking away.

Blackrose begins to say something, but I cut her off. "Look," I hiss. "Just leave me the hell alone, ok?"

Since she makes no further comment, I assume she's probably irked at me and sulking, but I don't really give a damn. I walk to the edge of the island, where the stone causeway breaks off, and I sit down, staring into the water and tucking my knees under my chin. I just want to be alone…

A/N And what happens next? I dunno. I'm sorry! I really have no idea!

I'd still appreciate hearing any comments you have on this, though. I always like knowing what people thing. )


	8. For your Information

**Antilogy of the Crepuscule**

Author's Note:

I know, I know, we aren't supposed to post chapters of pure Author's Notes, and I do apologize for this. BUT, I thought you'd be interested to know that I've started to edit this story, and it turns out I'm going to be majorly rewriting parts of it. Therefore, I believe I shall, once I get a few chapters completed (which may take a while; every time I sit down to write, something new comes up), post a'new this story - but, it'll be under a different title, and it'll be (for the most part) enough different that it will warrent another story entirely... which I think is all right, as I don't remember where I was going with this one, anyway.

So... I just thought I'd let y'all know that. If you want to know when I post the new story, PM me or leave a review here saying so, and I'll do my best to remember to let you know. Mmkay?

Yours truly, Snarky


	9. For your Information, II

**Antilogy of the Crepuscule**

Author's Note: 

As a follow up to the last A/N, I'm now posting to let you know that I have the prologue of the rewrite of this story up under the title Twilit Souls. Its story ID number is "3731750", if you wish to look for it that way. I hope you will like that story as much as you liked this one, and I hope you will not mind that I'll be just as scatterbrained about updating it as I was with this one. Thank you for your support!

Love,

Sargent Snarky

PS: I won't be taking this story down any time soon, but it won't ever be updated, again.


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